The article, which was on the whole rather flattering, said that Malta will probably have a referendum in 2007 to decide whether to adopt the Euro or not.

However, Malta is bound, as one of the 10 recent additions to the European Union, to enter the common Eurozone by 2010. In fact, our country only kept the lira after the mediators prior to accession negotiated a seven-year derogation.

A government spokesman told The Malta Independent that it was not a case of “if” the Euro was going to be adopted, but rather “when” the Euro was going to be adopted.

“A referendum on whether or not to adopt the Euro is not an option, because Malta is bound to adopt the common currency as legal tender. It is a case of when. Malta has until 2010 to adopt it,” the spokesman said.

He said that government simply cannot call a referendum on the issue.

The article quoted some of Malta’s billboards and focused on the language, described as sounding like a gentler, less

guttural Turkish, but very

much influenced by other Mediterranean countries.

The article said that we Maltese were carving rock chambers and gigantic mother-earth figures while the ancient Britons were probably daubing themselves with woad.

There was also a mention of politics and the fact that Malta, despite having the lowest

number of voters, had the third highest European Parliament election turnout at 82 per cent.

Praise was also heaped on Mdina and Marsaxlokk, particularly the quaintness of the

fishing boats and government’s initiative to pass all cabling under Mdina to remove the

wires that hung down from old buildings.

Going back to currency, the article read: “The Maltese lira is strong, and the Maltese have survived worse invasions than hordes of tomato-toned tourists or a foreign currency.”