Losing the Thread, Information Overload

Losing the Thread, Information Overload

5 January 2026

For months, geopolitical developments remained in the background of international news. Now they dominate the front pages, filling columns and headlines.

The New Year’s mood has evaporated. Not only because of the war, which is what it is, but also because of events such as Fuik Day and the opening of the carnival season. Together, these developments have pushed our structural problems into the background. At present, there is no time for the AOV or for poverty. Little attention is paid to corruption or to the weakness of our institutions.

Tourism is also a growing concern. Only now are we beginning to act on the reality that we are heavily dependent on a single sector — one that is highly vulnerable to external shocks.

Only now are crisis arrangements being mobilized, and communication with the public intensified. The question is whether any form of stability will return soon. One can hope so, but all signs point in the opposite direction. It will be a matter of weathering the storm.

Miguel Goede