The Nationalist Party has called on Prime Minister Robert Abela to say whether he will take action against Jason Micallef after the Labour figure described banners calling for justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia as “vandalism”.Micallef, who chairs the Valletta Cultural Agency and also serves as Robert Abela’s special delegate for the implementation of Labour’s electoral manifesto, made the remark in reference to banners displayed around Valletta.According to the PN, some of the banners included calls for justice for assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.The Opposition has now turned the controversy directly onto Abela, arguing that Micallef cannot be treated simply as a private citizen expressing a personal opinion because he holds public appointments and is paid from public funds.“Prime Minister Robert Abela therefore cannot remain silent in the face of these remarks,” the PN said.The party challenged Abela to answer two questions: whether he agrees that banners calling for justice for Caruana Galizia amount to vandalism, and whether he believes they should be removed from Valletta.And if the Prime Minister disagrees with Micallef, the PN wants to know whether he intends to take any action against him.The Opposition linked the comments to the wider debate surrounding the aftermath of Caruana Galizia’s assassination, arguing that they are evidence that the “culture of impunity” identified by the public inquiry remains alive.That inquiry concluded in 2021 that the Maltese state bore responsibility for creating a culture of impunity which facilitated the environment in which Caruana Galizia was assassinated.The PN also accused Abela’s government of continuing to resist the full implementation of the inquiry’s recommendations, pointing to a recent Opposition motion calling for them to be implemented by the end of October.The latest political clash comes almost nine years after Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb outside her Bidnija home in October 2017, and just days after the verdict in the trial concerning her assassination.“A country that has truly learnt from the assassination of a journalist does not attack those who call for justice,” the PN said.It ended its statement by demanding a clear position from Abela on Micallef’s remarks.“Does he agree or disagree with Jason Micallef? Does he condemn what he said?”The PN said that, should Abela disagree, he should also explain what he intends to do about a government appointee who publicly criticised the banners.What do you make of Micallef’s comments?•