Dr Lawrence Gonzi has been prime minister of Malta since 2004 and presided over the country’s adoption of the euro. Membership of the EU and the eurozone are not universally supported in Malta, but there is a large degree of consensus on the fact that both have been tremendously successful in enabling Malta, the EU’s smallest state by population and area, to punch far above its weight.
“Malta has not only managed to weather the economic turbulence but emerged stronger than other developed economies,” says Mr Gonzi. “With faster growth rates than the European and eurozone averages throughout 2010, and an improving labour market, Malta’s economic progress is being confirmed. The latest data shows that over the past year Malta has had the fastest employment growth rate – 3.4% – in the EU, and also the fourth lowest unemployment rate.”
