Malta's economy was the second fastest growing in the EU
last year, its financial sector is healthy and diversified, and it
is about to play a leading role in Brussels.
All eyes will be on the tiny island of Malta when it takes over the
six-month presidency of the council of the EU on January 1, 2017.
Preparations are well under way, spearheaded by Ian Borg, the
country's parliamentary secretary for the EU presidency in 2017
and EU funds.
It is the first time that Malta has performed this role, so
nerves will be jangling at the scale of the job. It is the EU's
smallest member state by land (316 square kilometres) and
population (429,000), yet the most densely populated, with 1358
people per square kilometre, compared with the next most populous
country (the Netherlands, with 406 per square kilometre).
