The traditional World Economic Forum returns to Davos from May 22-26. Put in parentheses these last two years, it has been postponed several times due to health crisis. DUsually, this meeting of the planet’s money-makers takes place under the snow of January, and for the first time this year, in the spring. 2,500 experts and leaders from around the world will meet for five days. Personalities icoming from the economic but also political world.
A Davos 2022 marked by the geopolitical context of the world,obviously theinvasion of Russia by Ukraine is in everyone’s mind. the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Zelensky owill open the ball of political interventions from Monday, May 23, eexcept in video.
As a retaliatory measure, there will be no of Russian contingent this year in Davos. There are many European politicians announced for this edition: the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, or even the boss of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. But the appointment is less unavoidable than before, it seems to have lost its luster, its appeal.
A few years ago, discreet meetings took place there between the boss of Total, Patrick Pouyanné, and that of the United States, Donald Trump at the time, or even conferences welcoming the founder of Alibaba, the Chinese Jack Ma.
This year there will be no Joe Biden, nor Emmanuel Macron, nor Patrick Pouyané for that matter, all at its general meeting which is also taking place next week. No Elon Musk on the horizon either, the boss of SpaceX and Tesla, cas if the hushed corridors of the Swiss resort’s convention center were less conducive to business than before.
A few months ago, the world economy was however in full euphoria, with strong growth fueled by dynamic global consumption, after a pandemic that had paralyzed activity. Today, from this health crisis, supply problems remain which have seen prices soar, theset in.
The invasion of Ukraine created shortages, led to soaring prices for certain raw materials, cereals too, revealed the urgency of accelerating the energy transition. So, failing to be media and followed by structuring decisions, the discussions and debates over the next few days, in Davos, will at least be included in the major global issues of the moment.