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The new year is a fitting opportunity to look back on the last twelve months. For the Journal team, this means reflecting on more than 600 published articles and podcasts, as well as at least three times as many conducted interviews. Each team member has selected the contribution that has marked them the most in 2023.
Same procedure as every year: as the year draws to a close, or, as in our case, when it has already gone the way of all things earthly, it is time to use the here and now to look back a little on the past and, if you are really brave, perhaps even dare to take a brief look into the future. As we all know, the future is always good, especially in the present ..
What we actually want to say: Even if you should always look forwards in life, an occasional look back can't hurt. Of course, we have written so much in the past year that we have almost forgotten what we have written.
However, we still remember our 75th birthday to some extent, although in this case, for once, we don't mean us, but the Lëtzebuerger Journal. However, we have to admit that at this point we had to check whether we were 50, 60, 70 or 75 years old. It doesn't really matter: the birthday party was fantastic, even the Grand Duke paid us a visit.
From an international perspective, however, 2023 was unfortunately another year that would have been better if it hadn't happened. The war in Ukraine is still raging and the Middle East is about to explode for good. In any case, 2023 already occupies a place of honour on the open-ended disaster scale.
"We've written so much in the past year that we've almost forgotten what we've written."
In terms of national politics, however, 2023 was of course first class. It's not every day that you have such a super election year with municipal and parliamentary elections in quick succession.
In any case, we took the opportunity to go for a walk with the leading candidates of the four major parties.
After the walk, we went to the museum with incumbent Xavier Bettel (DP). However, he had to stop every few metres to take selfies, as he is now even being recognised by tourists: "I need people. If I don't see anyone for a few days, then I'm missing something. I need the contact, I need the dialogue. I'm addicted to people".
We interviewed LSAP top candidate Paulette Lenert at Café Interview: "I'm a quiet person. Being quiet is somehow interpreted as a weakness. That you don't have an opinion. I don't just shout at people. I'm not the one who says something without thinking it through first. No matter what qualities you have, people always look for the negative in politics".
We went to the Konschthal in Esch with the leading Green candidate Sam Tanson, where she emphasised once again that the Greens are not a party of prohibition: "There are rules, but you have them everywhere, not just in the environmental field. Our society lives from the fact that we have rules. It's not just the Greens who make the rules".
And we ended up in a bakery with CSV top candidate Luc Frieden, even though eating humble pie has never been his thing: "I believe that every organisation needs a captain. Leadership in the positive sense of the word: making a decision and taking people with you. I like doing that."
As you know, Luc Frieden won the race. His party is considered the big winner of the chamber elections, although it still has 21 seats, the same number as in 2018, when it was considered the big loser with 21 seats. You get the picture.
What surprised us most during our afternoon with Luc Frieden, apart from his unshakeable self-confidence? That his favourite film is Notting Hill, the slightly cheesy romantic comedy with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. So is the man who for years was rumoured to have a cold heart actually a tough romantic? Well, the future will tell, although the new Prime Minister's first steps are rather unromantic ..
Speaking of the future: much more exciting than what has been is, of course, what is to come, but unfortunately we, who don't have a crystal ball, can't say that either.
What we do know, however, is that the sun will continue to rise in 2024, and that's a good thing …
