European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend the media briefing after the first meeting of her new college of commissioners in Brussels, Belgium, December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The head of the European Union’s executive arm, German conservative Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday demanded a “thorough and independent” investigation into the 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has announced he will step down amid a growing political crisis over the killing.

“I expect there to be a thorough and independent investigation, free from any political interference,” von der Leyen told a news conference in Brussels on her fourth day in office. “It is crucial that all those responsible are put to justice as soon as possible.”