Davos aims to coax elite out of isolation in January
The World Economic Forum has vowed to hold its annual meeting in Davos in January, testing the willingness of a globetrotting elite to resume the high-powered networking that has been frozen by the coronavirus pandemic.
Such events have been cancelled around the world since the pandemic began, with many chief executives expressing doubt that they will return to the conference circuit as before.
Some Davos-goers have even speculated that this year’s meeting itself was instrumental in spreading the virus.
“I had this nightmare that somehow in Davos, all of us who went there, got it. And then we all left and spread it. The only good news from that is that it might just have killed the elite,” Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, joked at an investor meeting in February.
Klaus Schwab, the WEF’s founder and executive chairman, roundly dismissed that as a possibility in an interview with the Financial Times. The first case of Covid-19 in Switzerland was not recorded until February 23, nearly a month after the annual meeting had wrapped up, he noted. “I have a very good conscience in this respect,” he said.
Mr Schwab said the WEF had tested among its members the idea of holding the meeting as usual in January. “We got, I would say, enthusiastic support, because it’s clear you have to go back to a new normality,” he said.
The meeting would only proceed if the WEF could guarantee the safety and security of its participants, Mr Schwab stressed. But he expressed confidence that it could do so and argued that an in-person setting was the only effective way for the summit to proceed.
The purpose of the 2021 meeting would be to plot a “great reset of capitalism”, Mr Schwab said, contending that the pandemic had laid bare the deficiencies of an “old system” that had neglected infrastructure, healthcare and social security systems.
“If we continue as we do now . . . I could foresee that we will have a revolt on our hands,” he said.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Ecological status of Swiss streams insufficient according to study
This content was published on
Pesticide use and obstructions of waterways have a particularly negative impact on sensitive organisms, completely absent in 70% of streams analysed.
Train line between Brig and Domodossola interrupted
This content was published on
One day after a derailment approximately 15 kilometres from the Swiss border, BLS is running buses for passengers between Preglia and Domodossola, in Italy.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Davos 2020: What to watch for at this year’s World Economic Forum
This content was published on
World leaders, chief executives, thinkers and celebrities are gathering in the Swiss mountain town of Davos for the World Economic Forum.
At 50, WEF sets out to prove there’s a better kind of capitalism
This content was published on
Half a century after the first elite gathering in Davos, the WEF seeks to show that the invite-only event can go beyond nice taglines.
This content was published on
How much does Switzerland spend on WEF security? How much does it cost to be a WEF partner or member? We answer all your questions.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.