There are many stories surrounding the World Economic Forum in Davos, and it has long been about more than just economics. This year it could bring together decision-makers from the Middle East.
The World Economic Forum has been pursuing the goal of creating a better world for more than 50 years. When the world’s political and economic elite meets again next week in the Swiss winter sports resort of Davos, it will seem more urgent than ever. Because years ago there was discussion about a new industrial revolution and China’s free trade, today it’s about wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, about bloc formation, about world politics.
The political problems have long been coming to the fore at the Davos meeting, which was originally a gathering of globalization supporters and economic liberalists. Geopolitical tensions are higher this year than they have been in decades, says forum president Børge Brende. “The only way forward is to come together and find solutions.”
The organizers have big plans: “Restore trust” is this year’s motto. The problem: Globalization has been under pressure since the Corona pandemic, and global tensions are increasing due to wars and trouble spots. Trust is currently difficult on the international stage.
Is the meeting becoming more important again?
In recent years, perhaps this is why the World Economic Forum (WEF) has seemed to have lost its importance. The really big names, such as a US president, were missing from the list of participants; last year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was the only head of state or government of a G7 state to be there. But this year more big names from politics and business are arriving again – and especially those with crucial roles in the current crises.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is coming to Davos for the first time since the beginning of the war. In recent years, he had been digitally campaigning for support for his country, which was being attacked by Russia. This time he is traveling himself to shake up the increasingly war-weary West. Zelensky could meet Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on the Davos Promenade. Ukraine has long been hoping that China will become more involved in the conflict and assert its influence over Russia.
It is also eagerly awaited what signals Li Qiang will send to the economic policy elite. China’s economy is under heavy pressure, among other things, due to the exchange of blows over sanctions with the USA. China is looking forward to strengthening exchange and communication and increasing mutual understanding and trust, the Foreign Office in Beijing said in advance.
Top politicians from the Middle East trouble spot
This year, the World Economic Forum also has the potential to bring together key stakeholders around the Gaza war. In addition to the prime ministers of Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is on the guest list. According to media reports, the Iranian foreign minister is also expected.
The WEF was doing everything it could to initiate dialogue, it was said in advance. Nothing more can actually be expected, because the Swiss meeting is usually not a summit where there are tough negotiations and a result is achieved at the end. It’s more about exchange, about conversations away from the public, about getting to know each other personally. You could call the World Economic Forum the “mother of all networks.”
The fact that the forum can still write world history is shown by the meeting between Nelson Mandela and the then South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk in 1992. Their handshake symbolized the end of apartheid.
Contact exchange for the economic elite
Aside from the big panel discussions, the big companies are active in Davos. During the World Economic Forum they converted the shops on Promenade Street into small company headquarters. In the evenings, people meet here for snacks and drinks and to philosophize about the future of the world – and their own company.
The World Economic Forum is expecting around 800 company bosses, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Sam Altman, the developer of the popular chatbot ChatGPT. Artificial intelligence (AI) is said to be one of the prominent topics. The WEF sees opportunities and risks in this, as managing director Saadia Zahidi said. Many tasks could certainly be taken over by AI, which creates space for more important things. But a new report from the forum also puts misinformation at the top of the global risks. They can be produced en masse, quickly and deceptively realistic using AI.
Conspiracy theories surrounding the meeting
The participants in the World Economic Forum, often referred to as the “global elite,” are the number one enemy of many conspiracy theorists. These like to stir up fear of secret circles that strive for a new world order according to their wishes.
The annual conference with numerous heads of the largest corporations, politicians of distinction, as well as UN organizations and think tanks is just right for them. It is said that secret deals are being forged in Davos. This may be true in some cases, but it is not the rule.
Many myths come about through a book that the WEF founder and economist Klaus Schwab (85) published in 2020 together with Thierry Malleret. Conspiracy theorists suspect the WEF’s dark intentions in the title: “The great reset” – the great upheaval. However, the entire title is: “Covid-19 – the big upheaval”.
The authors write that after years of profit maximization under the influence of pandemic and climate change, the world now needs a shift towards more cooperation, justice and sustainability. However, the content of the book is often distorted: a call for more car sharing was incorrectly turned into the statement that Schwab wanted to ban driving.
Scholz isn’t coming
Unlike in previous years, Scholz will not speak in Davos this time. From the federal government, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Economics Minister Robert Habeck, Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger are on the program. France is more prominent with President Emmanuel Macron. Also expected are EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the new Argentine President Javier Milei and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Source: Stern
