13/12/2019 (Agence Europe) – The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, did not want the issue of the rule of law in Malta to be raised at the Summit on 12 and 13 December, despite recent developments in the Daphne Caruana Galizia case and the announcement of the resignation of the Maltese Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat. The European Parliament, however, has called on the European Council to adopt a position on the subject (see EUROPE 12389/6). “It is logical that we have not spoken about this issue, because I do not want any interference with investigations”, Michel said on 13 December, while deploring the “human tragedy” and a serious attack on press freedom and the rule of law. He said he was ready to meet with Mrs Caruana Galizia's family. For his part, the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, confirmed that he had expressed his concerns to his Maltese counterpart. (AC)