Meetings in Malta

Am in Malta for a meeting of European Socialist parties. This month, Malta adopted the euro as its national currency, which most seem pleased about, apart from the currency exchange kiosks who will have far fewer opportunities to rip people off with extortionate exchange rates. (Good pub quiz quetion: which two Commonwealth countries joined the euro this year?)

Also interesting to see The Sunday Times of Malta, the entire front page of which is devoted to EU issues, not least the question of what action the EU might take to require Malta to cease the practice of indiscriminate and massive shooting of migrating birds as they fly over Malta from Europe to/from Africa. There is not much point in agreeing a Europe-wide system of protecting migratory birds (as we have in the EU birds directive) if one crucially-located member state does not respect it.

Also interesting was an article about Malta's MEPs being more well known and more popular than its MPs, and the European Parliament enjoying higher trust levels in opinion polls than the national parliament. I must remember to tell some of my Westminster colleagues!