Davos World Economic Forum: soon to be discontinued?
Representatives from the worlds of politics and business have been convening since Monday in Davos, Switzerland, for the 54th World Economic Forum. Despite another high-ranking line-up, commentators question, not for the first time, what purpose the forum fulfils today.
Rant among the like-minded
The forum has become an echo chamber, the Financial Times comments:
“There is a risk that some delegates end up leaving the event with their beliefs reinforced. The forum can at times feel like a rant among like-minded individuals who are struggling to come to terms with a changing reality. Davos’s strength has never really been in its ability to proffer solutions to the world’s problems anyway. ... Indeed, the forum’s lofty ambitions often distract from the true purpose of the event: its unmatched power as a giant networking opportunity. ... Ongoing attendance is guaranteed in part by the simple fear of missing out.”
A late victory for anti-globalism
The turning point in free trade is not passing Davos by, observes the Süddeutsche Zeitung:
“For many years the meeting in the Swiss mountains was the hottest party for the globalised elite, for managers, lobbyists, politicians and experts: Free trade! Networking! Deals! ... Those times are long gone. ... Now it is the protectionists who cavort there, while the World Trade Organisation (WTO), founded 30 years ago to boost free trade, must fear for its survival. Nowadays it plays only a minor role in Davos. Despite all the geopolitical tensions, this is a late and quiet victory for the anti-globalisation movement.”
Exemplary ability to overcome differences
Davos could serve as a good example in the fight against the growing gap between rich and poor, Le Courrier writes in praise:
“Clearly, the Davos summits cannot offer solutions to the tragic consequences of the crisis of globalised capitalism. Instead, as Oxfam puts it, the solutions should come from ‘an international movement that takes on the greed and ideology of the billionaire class and leads us to a world based on economic, social and environmental justice. ... But to take a step in this direction, progressive forces could draw inspiration from a quality for which the ruling class gathered in Davos deserves credit: the ability to overcome their differences in order to unite and defend their common interests.”
