Consider for a moment those cherished memories of a place you once visited and where you remember having a great time. All your friends were there, sharing ideas, full of hope and retelling stories of old. Then one day you return to this fondly recalled establishment and find that your friends don’t go there anymore, the conversation isn’t as good and the whole vibe has changed. It’s old now, tired, and somewhat worn.
This is my assessment of the current World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 Annual Meeting taking place at Davos. Where previously this gathering has been a conglomerate of some of the most powerful and influential in politics, business and global issues, it has unfortunately been reduced to becoming an annual talk-shop where major players are merely sending their representatives to attend on their behalf.
An event such as the WEF only has the potential to influence or shape global discussions if global players attend and contribute. No matter how much marketing or media reporting takes place, it simply will not work to convince much of the world that WEF has any global relevance.
And in examining this year’s WEF, it is worth noting who is not there. A number of European leaders including French President Emmanual Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and many others are not attending. Donald Trump is believed to be attending virtually at some point, which perhaps for the organisers is better than nothing. Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending and chose instead to send China’s Vice Premier. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also not attending. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is not there. Even Canada’s Justin Trudeau isn’t attending.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is attending the WEF and is likely to be promoting South Africa’s G20 priorities. Unfortunately, he has rocked up to the party and it appears none of the cool kids are there. And yet where previously, the President would rally CEOs and leaders of industry locally to travel abroad and help to represent the country, you sense that there was an overall lacklustre attempt at this.
In a previous article for this platform, I wrote about the rise of nationalism and how it has come to replace globalism as the dominant world ideology. Globally, people are electing leaders that are inward-looking, focused on domestic issues and not allowing themselves to be caught up in any global organisations or agendas. In fact, taking up global issues or even attending certain events abroad are political matters that many politicians must think very carefully about, because nowadays they can be politically weaponised against you.
I believe the WEF gathering is likely a front-line victim to this global ideological change. Where previously the organisers were able to muster leaders and heads of state from across the world and major CEOs, now many of those attending are possibly doing so out of politeness. Alas, the WEF organisers are still intent on trying to shuffle everyone on to the dance floor. “Come on guys, I love this song.”
Unfortunately for the WEF organisers, they also had to contend with one of the biggest media events of the year, namely the inauguration of President Donald Trump and the subsequent decisions that he has taken through executive orders which have largely driven the news cycle. Turn on any of the major global news platforms and you will barely see any reporting about the WEF gathering, it’s a byline in the news. If you turn away, you might miss the snapshot of what is happening as ribbon rolls at the bottom of your screen.
Unfortunately, the breadth of the WEF agenda also makes it an exercise in futility. The organisers have tried to pack every single global issue into a series of conferences and workshops where virtually anyone is allowed on stage to have an opinion. It’s not inspiring, it’s not changing the world, it’s boring.
[Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/54279229848/]
The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of the Daily Friend or the IRR.
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