Last week was full of new beginnings. And of course we are referring to the 250,000 pupils who returned to school on Wednesday. The usual childlike carefree spirit could not be completely suppressed by adult concerns about the re-emergence of the epidemic in Slovenia. Above all, both young and old agree that learning at school and in the company of peers is more enjoyable than at home in front of the computer.

Afghanistan also needs a new start, and was at the centre of key discussions at this year's Bled Strategic Forum and, of course, the main topic of the informal meeting of European Foreign Ministers that ended today.

The climate crisis, the epidemic, the different views on future development all require us to rethink what we have and where we want to go.