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Metsola refuses Joseph Muscat’s handshake during the Daphne crisis

In late 2019, as Malta’s prime minister faced mass protest after the Caruana Galizia murder investigation, Metsola refused to shake his hand and told him to get out. In the causal graph this event weakens Institutional Corruption, a driver that strengthens Political corruption index — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

In late 2019, as Malta’s prime minister faced mass protest after the Caruana Galizia murder investigation, Metsola refused to shake his hand and told him to get out. A refused handshake is a completed communication act, not a Maltese indictment.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Roberta Metsola

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.4 · verified

    The words and the refusal were hers. Maltese investigators and later courts ran the murder file.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactMetsola refuses Joseph Muscat’s handshake during the Daphne crisis
    2. weakensDriverInstitutional Corruption
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Political corruption index
    Improving path

    impact weight 0.3 · Effect from 29 November 2019 · verified

    A public refusal to normalise a compromised prime minister slightly raises the political cost of impunity, with a national-justice lag.

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Times of Malta — Metsola and the Muscat handshakeTimes of Malta · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.European Parliament — presidentsEuropean Parliament · High credibility · verified

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorRoberta Metsola
  2. contributed toFactMetsola refuses Joseph Muscat’s handshake during the Daphne crisis
  3. weakensDriverInstitutional Corruption
  4. strengthensIndicatorPolitical corruption index

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Metsola refuses Joseph Muscat’s handshake during the Daphne crisis. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-metsola-daphne-muscat-2019

https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-metsola-daphne-muscat-2019

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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