EU Parliament unanimously approves a debate on attack on Sigfrido Ranucci

From the correspondent in Strasbourg – The European Parliament has unanimously approved the request of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group to add to the agenda of the current plenary session in Strasbourg a debate on the “criminal intimidation” against investigative journalists in Europe and in particular the attack on Sigfrido Ranucci. The debate will take place tomorrow afternoon (21 October). 

In the aftermath of the 16 October ambush, in which an explosive device blew up Ranucci and his daughter’s car in front of the journalist’s home near Pomezia, the delegations of the Democratic Party and the 5 Star Movement in Brussels had immediately requested an urgent debate in the EU Parliament. The request was submitted by the corresponding groups, S&D and The Left. 

At the opening of the session, dem MEP Sandro Ruotolo presented the request, denouncing an “increasingly heavy” climate in Italy, where “by now 29 journalists are forced to live under police protection, because they are threatened with death by organised crime.” 

The addition of the debate was approved unanimously: 421 votes in favour, 5 abstentions and none against. A rare occurrence in the Strasbourg hemicycle, so much so that President Roberta Metsola congratulated the chamber. 

Tomorrow afternoon, at the same time as the debate, a seminar will be held in the European Parliament to mark the awarding of the annual prize for investigative journalism dedicated to Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Maltese reporter killed in 2017 in a bomb attack. Roberto Saviano and Ranucci will also be remotely connected to the event.