Editorial - Hello darkness ...

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When Xavier Bettel steps up to the lectern in front of a packed hall on Tuesday afternoon to give his first major speech in Parliament in his (no longer quite that) new role as Foreign Minister, we can't help but think of the line from Forrest Gump, the slightly cheesy but all the more beautiful feel-good classic starring Tom Hanks: "Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you're going to get."

However, a foreign policy statement in these times is exactly the opposite of a box of chocolates: here you know what to expect. You know what's inside, namely – this year, as in previous years – a lot of Ukraine and a lot of the Middle East, plus a little bit of the USA and a little bit of China.

In the context of the current geopolitical situation, which is completely out of control, you could also quote an old song by Simon & Garfunkel, who have finally reconciled decades after their separation, namely The Sound of Silence, which begins with the meaningful words "Hello darkness, my old friend". There is not much, if anything, positive to report from the world of foreign policy, which has unfortunately also been the case in recent years.