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We have welcomed the new year 2016 and, naturally, we are filled with new expectations, hopes, concerns and fears. In this regard, we asked, "What do you expect from 2016?" As always, our three language pages have very interesting and indicative results. Since we wanted to obtain a more complete picture of our readers’ attitudes, the poll allowed for more than one choice.

Unfortunately, the most popular response on the three language pages expresses great pessimism and fears, anticipating a deepening economic crisis and rising unemployment. 22% of readers of GRReporter's Bulgarian page support that option. Readers of the English page are even more pessimistic, as 26% of them expect a deeper crisis and unemployment. The Greek-speaking readers of our site are the most pessimistic. The percentage of respondents in the poll who expect a bad year in terms of employment and economy is as high as 27%.

The second most popular response is no less alarming, though not as pessimistic as the first. 16% of respondents in the poll on the Bulgarian page expect no change at the end of 2016, which will have resolved some of the dilemmas they are currently facing. Again, readers of GRReporter's Greek page are more pessimistic and the votes for this option are 20%. Unlike the Greek and Bulgarian readers, our English-speaking audience is much more sensitive to the refugee problem, which is the second most popular option in the poll with 15% of readers' votes.

In the third place, our readers expect a new political crisis and early parliamentary elections. 16% of Bulgarian readers, 18% of Greek and 13% of English-speaking readers expect the cabinet of SYRIZA and Independent Greeks to fall.

The fourth place is different in each of the three groups of readers. 14% of Bulgarian readers expect more Greek companies to move to Bulgaria and other neighbouring countries. 13% of English-speaking readers expect no change in 2016 whereas 14% of Greek-speaking readers rank forth the deepening refugee crisis.

10% of our Bulgarian readers put in the fifth place the fall of the cabinet of SYRIZA and its coalition partners, with subsequent early elections. The same percentage of the English-speaking audience expects more Greek companies to move to Bulgaria and other neighbouring countries. Obviously, Berbatov has failed to excite mainly our Greek readers because they put in this place their hope for the Bulgarian footballer and his team PAOK to delight them with impressive football matches.

The sixth most popular expectation for 2016 of our Bulgarian audience is a new job and a better life due to the higher income from it. 9% of our readers expect it to happen this year. The expectations for impressive football matches on the part of Berbatov and PAOK are the preference of 10% of English-speaking readers. 7% of our Greek readers expect more Greek companies to move to Bulgaria and other neighbouring countries.

Next before the last, in the seventh place, 7% of Bulgarian readers rank the expectation associated with Berbatov and PAOK. We cannot overlook the fact that this is the lowest expectation regarding the famous Bulgarian footballer and of his compatriots at that. English readers have low expectations of finding a new job with a higher income to bring them a better life. Only 6% of them have similar hopes. Our Greek readers have even lower hopes associated with finding a new job. Only 2% of them are of the opinion that such a positive change is in store during the New Year.

Medicine advancement and the promise of a longer and better life rank last in our poll with 5% on the Bulgarian page, 5% on the English and 0% on the Greek. Only happy people want to live longer. We see that our readers are filled with pessimism, doubts and concerns over the upcoming year.

May those concerns and fears be resolved and the year be much better than expected, these are the hopes and wishes of our team! But to be such, each of us must make a personal effort and not wait until someone else solves our problems, as is the old Balkan custom.

Against this pessimistic background, our most recent poll is associated with good news, namely the internet campaign to award this year's Nobel Peace Prize to the Greeks that help refugees. What is your opinion on the question, “Do the native populations of the Greek islands deserve to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?”