The start: The World Economic Forum 2024 (WEF) begins this evening in Davos before it is officially opened by Federal President Viola Amherd tomorrow, Tuesday. Around 2,800 participants are expected during the conference week, including dozens of heads of state and government from all over the world.
The core topics: The focus is on the wars and crises of this world. On the Swiss side it is bilateral relations with the EU. The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, which has been going on for almost two years, has already been the focus of previous conferences – now the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas and concerns about an expansion of the conflict in the Middle East are added. In addition to wars, the climate crisis, rising costs of living and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) will also be discussed. And finally – nomen est omen – it’s about the global economy
The most important political guests: An important guest is Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky. Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang will also take part in the WEF. His participation is important because China is considered an ally of Russia and the West hopes to use Beijing to influence Moscow. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also traveling to Davos. He is currently mediating in the Middle East conflict. Finally, the planned appearance of Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the participation of ministers from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which are considered mediators in the Middle East conflict, are receiving a lot of attention.
The top shots of the economy: The central bankers – including Christine Lagarde of the European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank President Thomas Jordan – as well as the 1,600 business leaders come to the WEF to debate the global economic situation. Mediocre growth, high interest rates, political risks, after-effects of the corona pandemic and growing debts pose challenges for the world. In addition to the business leaders, US tech companies are also well represented: speakers will include Marc Benioff, CEO of the business software specialist Salesforce, Microsoft boss Satay Nadella and Alex Karp from the data analysis company Palantir. The billionaire Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates will also be a guest.
Legend:
All eyes are on Davos in Graubünden. Thousands of political and business leaders from all over the world are expected.
Keystone(Gian Ehrenzeller
Switzerland’s concerns: Dozens of bilateral meetings are planned on the Swiss side. For the federal authorities, the resumption of bilateral negotiations with the EU should be anchored at the WEF. Federal President Amherd will emphasize this approach in her bilateral talks in Davos. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis meets with the Vice President of the European Commission responsible for the Swiss dossier, Maros Sefcovic. The reconnection of Switzerland to the European research program will also be discussed, in particular by Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, who in turn will meet the EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research and Education Iliana Ivanova.
The social aspect: At the start of the WEF on Monday evening, outstanding artists will receive a so-called Crystal Award for their services to society. This year’s winners are Hollywood star and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) from Malaysia, the US musician Nile Rodgers and the Burkinabe-German architect Diébédo Francis Kéré.