A single day of celebration

A year ago we predicted that 2015 would be a year with a lot of problems. It really met our expectations. We predicted the new-old inter-bloc tension and its direct effect on the unending war in Syria. We predicted the crisis of millions of refugees and the zigzagging price of oil, which obviously directly affects the pocketbook of each and every one of us. We made predictions, and we were right, and it's too bad.

With the possible exception of the behavior of European stock exchanges and the temporary victory over the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, 2015 will not be remembered as a particularly good year. It was a year in which Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Islamic State starred. Between us, we dreamt about a different Star Wars. That movie, actually, was one of the only positive things to happen this year, but we know we aren't living in a film.

This past year requires us to be somewhat humble. In 2016, we won't wish each other a "happy New Year," but rather a "happier New Year." We wise up as the years go by. We'll wish ourselves a Gregorian year of fewer terrorist attacks, fewer refugees. A year in which countries go back to joining forces because of values, and less out of interests. We're allowed to hope and to dream. Champagne helps us be optimistic, but the hangover is more in line with reality. Someone once said that today, even the future isn't what is used to be.

In 2016, there might be more terrorist attacks, no less serious than the ones that recently shocked the world. Clashes are expected on other continents, too, like Asia and Africa. This past year saw a renewal of the war in Burundi, which became the 14th violent crisis in the world today.

In our Middle East there are no signs of recovery. The Arab world, following the disappointment of the Arab Spring of 2011, continues to devolve. Four countries have already collapsed, and we're talking about a contagion. Even the Saudi kingdom is worried about its fate. Who would believe that the Saudis would be preparing an austerity plan?

The price per barrel of crude oil is plummeting while Iran's stock is on the rise. Riyadh is feeling the pressure. The war in Syria is also far from over, and the choice there today is between bad and worse. The Islamic State might be taking hits on the ground, but could strike abroad. Rehabilitating Syria is likely to take longer than the war itself. In other words, the refugees will continue to seek a new haven and Europe is far from finding the correct solution to the problem.

This year, the Americans will elect a new president. How we would like to be in Cleveland, Ohio, in July, for the Republican convention to learn who will become the party's nominee for president and what happens with the Donald Trump phenomenon. A week later, the Democratic convention is slated to take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and less tension is expected. Does anyone want to bet on a candidate other than Hillary?

The free world is expected to get a new leader in 2016 (even if we'll wait until 2017, formally). This already makes 2016 important. This will be a year in which we'll say goodbye to U.S. President Barack Obama. According to the promises of 2008, we were supposed to be living today in a world in which we're all brothers, we all love one another, and there is no Islamic terrorism. Remember? And there's always the fear of a natural disaster or a new virus. But on January 1, 2016, there's nothing left but to enjoy the moment.

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