Government leaders and top executives will descend on the Swiss Alps starting Monday for the annual World Economic Forum, the bastion of globalization under strain amid a tumultuous geopolitical landscape.
Davos’ theme this year, “A Spirit of Dialogue,” feels like “a heroic stretch,” The Guardian wrote, given US President Donald Trump’s reordering of global trade, expansionist agenda, and hostility toward allies.
Trump will remain the center of gravity this week as he leads a massive US delegation to Davos. But while the WEF no longer shapes the global agenda — the “Davos consensus” is often wrong, Semafor’s Liz Hoffman notes — the event remains influential by giving powerful people a place to schmooze and strike deals, a former devotee wrote.
