During this week, the World Economic Forum (WEF) takes place in Davos, which annually welcomes political and business leaders from around the world. This year, already the fifty-fifth in a row, has the subtitle “Cooperation for an intelligent age”. The main program runs until Thursday, with the event officially culminating on Friday.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico planned to participate in Tuesday’s conference program, where he was supposed to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, the president reacted critically to Fico when he declared: “It is difficult to plan anything with a person who may say that he is going to Davos, but ends up somewhere in Sochi.” We don’t know who actually buys his tickets, as he keeps missing the destination of his trips,” he added before the conference began.
To candidate countries as EU members
. Originally, it was supposed to be part of the discussion on the expansion of the European Union and the future of the common European project. The topic was finally debated by other distinguished guests, including Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kosova from Slovenia, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybih and Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.
The Ukrainian foreign minister mentioned in the discussion that the EU should approach the candidate countries “now as EU members”. Andrii Sybiha added: “When we’re talking about the 2028-2034 budget, for example, it would of course be great if this ambitious goal of massive expansion was reflected in that budget – because without that it’s going to be really problematic.”
Andrii Sybiha stressed that the EU is “not doing us a favor” as his war-torn country will “contribute to the strength of the EU” with its battlefield experience and technology and defense industries. “The cost will be around 0.17% of the EU’s GDP if we are talking about an enlargement of nine countries.”
Almost 3,000 leaders
In addition, several world leaders missed this year’s conference. Among them are Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
According to organizers, this year’s event is attended by nearly 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries, including approximately 60 heads of state and government.
China is represented in Davos by Deputy Prime Minister Ting Su Siang, Argentine President Javier Milei, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are also participating. The Czech Republic is represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský.
New US President Donald Trump is expected to address the Davos Forum via teleconference today at 5:00 p.m.
What was heard in Davos: Warning against climate change and artificial intelligence
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued another strong warning against climate change, likening the world’s dependence on fossil fuels to a “Frankenstein’s monster” that destroys indiscriminately. At the same time, he appealed for increased vigilance against the risks brought by the development of artificial intelligence.
Guterres emphasized his long-standing call for the global community to take more decisive action in the fight against global warming. He criticized companies that renege on their climate commitments, calling them “on the wrong side of history”.
At the same time, he highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence, which he described as a revolutionary tool with enormous benefits. According to him, it could fundamentally improve access to education, increase the quality of health care and help farmers to make their work more efficient and increase productivity. “However, with this promise comes great risk, especially if AI goes unchecked,” he said.
Making social media great again
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called on the European Union to take tough regulatory action against tech giants to help “make social media great again”. According to him, these platforms are controlled by tycoons who hide behind legislation, but at the same time violate basic democratic principles.
The center-left leader recalled that social media was originally intended to promote unity and democracy. Instead, he said, they “caused division, spread lies and strengthened a reactionary agenda.” At the same time, he pointed out that technology platforms have begun to unfairly compete with key sectors of European economies, such as banking, retail and media.
During his statement on Wednesday, Sánchez accused tech billionaires of wanting to use social media to “undermine democracy.” He promised to urge EU leaders to take decisive action in this area.
Putin must not win
In his speech on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to Europe to take more responsibility for its future. “Europe must step up its efforts and learn how to take care of itself so that the world does not overlook it,” he declared.
Zelenskyy emphasized the need for energy independence and criticized the current dependence on Russian gas supplies: “You cannot continue to buy gas from Moscow and at the same time expect security guarantees, support and help from the Americans. That is simply wrong.’
Today, at the economic forum, the NATO Secretary General called on world leaders to increase their support for Ukraine. According to him, it is crucial to provide the country with the best possible conditions for future peace talks with Russia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized in his speech that the path to prosperity leads through strong and stable institutions. He criticized “black-and-white thinking” that offers seemingly simple solutions, but fails to implement them in reality.
Scholz appealed for the need for clarity and persistence, especially on issues of peace and security. “We must protect the international order,” he declared, identifying the inviolability of national borders as its key pillar.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the chancellor emphasized that it is essential that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not win the war in Ukraine. “Putin must not win,” concluded Scholz.
There are no winners in a trade war
“It is true that economic globalization will bring some tensions and disagreements in the field of distribution. These problems can only be solved in the process of supporting economic globalization. Protectionism leads nowhere. The trade war has no winners, Ding Xuexiang emphasized in his speech on Tuesday.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, used her speech in Davos to call on EU countries for closer cooperation in view of the fragmented global economy.
She called for deeper integration of capital markets, removal of barriers to the single market and a new “energy union” that would permanently end reliance on Russian gas.
Ursula von der Leyen also mentioned that next week the European Commission will present an EU plan for defence, energy, trade and technology in what she called “a new era of fierce geostrategic competition.”
