The Standards Commissioner dismissed a complaint by Norman Lowell, leader of Imperium Europa, claiming that Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttiġieġ breached the ministerial code of ethics through a Facebook comment.
Lowell’s complaint followed a Broadcasting Authority decision to fine RTK103 radio €4,660 for excluding him from a pre-election discussion program.
In response, Buttiġieġ posted on Facebook advocating against hate speech, arguing that promoting views that undermine others’ fundamental rights threatens democracy and public safety.
Lowell argued that Buttiġieġ’s comment was misinformed and unethical. The Commissioner assessed two points: whether her comment reasonably described Imperium Europa’s views and whether her position allowed her to express such opinions.
Regarding the first, the Commissioner confirmed that Buttiġieġ’s remarks were based on established facts, noting that Lowell had previous convictions for hate speech and that Imperium Europa’s website historically contained anti-democratic statements.
On the second point, the Commissioner concluded that Buttiġieġ, as a public official, maintained the right to express personal political views on non-state platforms like Facebook. Since no misuse of state media occurred, the Commissioner found no basis for further investigation, clearing Buttiġieġ of any ethics violations.
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