Starting Monday, the global Elite in politics and economy, meets for the world economic forum in Davos. In times of Trade disputes, and nationalism, it will be a difficult Meeting.
Global economic growth is losing power, trade, conflicts, environmental problems and climate change are unresolved, and at the same time great upheavals are on the horizon due to the digitalization.
“Every single one of these issues is a big challenge,” said Borge Brende, formerly Norwegian Minister of foreign Affairs and now President of the world economic forum (WEF). “Taken together, they are a formidable task that can only be managed.”
However, the will to work together increasingly. US President, Donald Trump is an outspoken opponent of multilateral agreements, Brazil’s new President is also a nationalist tones. In Europe it’s all about the Brexit, in Italy, populist govern, in France, the yellow to demonstrate the West, the middle East remains a powder keg, and China compared to Taiwan the muscles.
Klaus Schwab, the Executive Chairman, the by him founded in 1971, the Forum as a place of understanding. “Dialogue to enable mutual understanding, is more important today than ever before,” says Schwab.
US President, Donald Trump (center) at the world economic forum in 2018 all the attention
A lot of celebrities, a lot of discussion
WEF President Brende sounded like the operator of a fairground attraction, as he raved of the high-level occupation in this year.
“How have 37 heads of state and government from Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East, there are nine. We have six presidents from Latin America and six or seven from Africa,” he counted. “From China’s Vice-President Wang.”
All in all, some 70 heads of state and government, as well as the tips of the United Nations, the International monetary Fund, the world Bank and the world trade organization, WTO, among the approximately 3000 participants. In addition, 300 Ministers, 1000 business leaders, many scientists as well as representatives from environmental and development organisations.
And what is the make all in the Swiss mountains? Nothing less than the condition of the world improve, and finally this is the official Mission of the forum. In the words of the WEF, the President of Brende: “Our challenge is to look with all the Ruling, representatives of international organisations, the business world and civil society to find solutions to the most pressing problems of the world.”
Without a Trump, and Macron, with Bolsonaro and Merkel
However, to be signed in Davos in the absence of international agreement. And Donald Trump, the man who stands second to none in the existing order of things in question, will not be there. With reference to the unresolved budget dispute with the U.S. Congress, he had not cancelled his participation, his Ministers also travel to Davos.
Also, France’s President, Emmanuel Macron at home – officially due to his busy schedule, unofficially, because the participation at the elite meeting of its credibility in the newly started dialogue with the citizens welfare.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes to mind as well as her successor as CDU leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Minister of health, Jens Spahn (CDU). Brazil’s new President, Jair Bolsonaro, will hold in Davos, his first speech before an international audience.
For the Davos Forum, the Absence of Donald Trump, under the PR face a loss of points for sure. A year ago, certain Trumps the presence of the headlines, even if he had to contribute to the discussion of global problems, nothing.
Instead, Trump has appealed to the present entrepreneurs to invest in his country. The make in Davos, many heads of government, but only a few dare to are limited to self-advertising as Trump.
Want to have criticised the globalisation 20 years ago: WEF founder Klaus Schwab
Looking to the future
Thematically devoted to the Forum in this year, the impact of globalization and industrial digitization. Under the Heading of “globalization 4.0: the search for a global architecture in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution” to be daring, looking to the future.
In the world there was a lack of visions, WEF founder Schwab, and the Forum could help here, even if he was aware that the proposals of the elites of many citizens are increasingly seen skeptical.
“Elites are considered to be not trustworthy, if your view is only focused on the next election or the next quarterly report,” says Schwab. “In Davos we follow, however, aware of a long-term approach. We focus on the opportunities, we want to make.”
Criticism of elites
But Schwab, the criticism of elites is not unscathed, and so he tried to delimitation. Although globalisation is a fact and I have also brought a lot of winners, but he and the Forum had never been supporters of the ideology, and everything to the free forces of the market.
He himself had already warned in 1996 against globalisation in its current Form is not sustainable, said Schwab.
“Now, when we speak about the globalization 4.0, then you must be inclusive and sustainable,” says Schwab. “And you must more and more be based on moral principles. We are in need of a Moralization, a Remo realizations of globalization.”
During his self-imposed target, at least to increase the number of female participants, significantly, the WEF slow. The share of women in this year at a low of 22 percent, after 21 percent in the previous year.