Booing and interruption before dessert Exclusive WEF dinner with US Secretary of Commerce gets out of hand
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, a speech by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick led to a scandal that prompted ECB President Christine Lagarde to leave a dinner.
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- US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick caused a stir during a panel discussion at the WEF in Davos.
- Lutnick propagated the end of "globalism" and promoted a more nationalistic economic policy.
- His statement that Europe should focus more on coal than on renewable energies drew boos from the former US Vice President.
- ECB chief Christine Lagarde left a subsequent dinner early, apparently out of anger at Lutnick.
A remarkable incident occurred at the World Economic Forum in Davos when US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick caused a stir with his comments, reports the Financial Times.
During an event organized by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink for high-ranking members and heads of state, the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, walked out of the dinner.
The reason was a speech by Lutnick that was critical of Europe, which led to heckling and ultimately to the event being cut short before dessert. According to the news agency "Reuters", Lagarde left the room when Lutnick sharply criticized Europe.
"Can I go back to Greenland?" "No!"
His statements that the world should focus more on coal than on renewable energies were met with resistance. The atmosphere was described by those present as tense and loud. Of particular note was the interjection of former US Vice President Al Gore, who interrupted Lutnick's speech.
The US Department of Commerce commented on the incident by saying that only Al Gore had booed. The European Central Bank declined to comment, while the US Department of Commerce and the World Economic Forum did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incident highlights the tensions that can arise from differing views on energy policy and international relations. In a wider context, US President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of the US for Greenland's security at the Davos meeting, which was met with resistance from European leaders.
These statements underline the controversial positions of the US in international affairs and the challenges this poses for transatlantic relations.
