Boycotts, Censorship, and the Illusion of the Rule of Law: A Reflection on Paolo Del Debbio and Malta

Paolo Del Debbio is a university professor and television presenter in Italy. I feel a strong affinity with him. Like myself, he is outspoken, and because he speaks his mind, he has become a target of criticism by other journalists. In his case, the Italian political Left attacked him. In my case, politicians and NGOs close to the clan of the rule of law attacked me.

In the case of Del Debbio, the Italian Left even attempted to organise a boycott of his programme, refusing to appear on his show simply because he posed challenging questions. In my case, I was ostracised by the Liberals, but I continued in my way.

Rightly so, Paolo Del Debbio responds to those seeking to strangle him politically through boycotts by pointing out that such tactics are characteristic of authoritarian regimes.

I suggest the readers listen to his video. The same strategies referred to by Del Debbio are employed in Malta by those who claim to champion the rule of law. I am here referring to part of the Nationalist Party and those germinating around the Daphne Caruana Foundation. In my case, they even attempted to silence me through various means, such as libel cases and filing reports with the rector to have me expelled from the university.