Poets must be well-versed in the Greek Cypriot dialect, possess adequate knowledge of the popular poetry of Cyprus and the ability to retrieve existing, well-known Tsiattista and, above all, must be able to improvise a new couplet on a specific theme within very strict time constraints and be able to respond to his or her opponent.

UNESCO: Tsiattista poetic duelling

Whether it persuades investors that European banks will be strong enough to withstand possible losses as and when eurozone countries fail to repay all they owe, well that won't be known till the detail is published next week of how much individual banks will have to find.

BBC: Eurozone banks to raise more than 100bn euros