The Cabinet of Ministers and members of the parliamentary factions of Malta gathered for an emergency meeting in connection with the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, The Guardian reported.

A commission spokesman said: “We do not comment on ongoing national investigations. Having said that, the European commission has consistently stated that we expect an independent and thorough investigation and that the persons responsible for this crime must be brought to justice.

“We need to send a clear signal to all journalists: it is safe to work in Europe. If journalists are silenced, so is democracy. Media freedom, pluralism, and the protection of journalists are at the very base of a free and democratic society.”

According to Manfred Weber, the leader of the largest party in the European parliament, the centre-right European people’s party, Muscat should consider his position as prime minister.

“The EU cannot be silent as to what is going on in the current days in Malta on the investigation in the assassination of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and certainly not this parliament whose press room has this name. “This week, two ministers and chief of staff of Prime Minister Muscat resigned over recent shocking developments. All these people appeared in the investigation of Daphne before she was killed. Nevertheless Prime Minister Muscat has protected them all this time and defended them again and again while attacking those who wanted to expose them.”