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The WEF 2026 begins in Davos GR on Monday.
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Davos is becoming the nerve center of world politics: between trade threats, a possible Ukraine summit and Trump's appearance, there is a lot at stake - including transatlantic trust.
The global crises are being concentrated in one place this week: Not Washington or Brussels, but Davos GR is becoming the hotspot of the world. The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) begins there this Monday. The congress in the Grisons municipality serves as a thermometer for global politics. Whether it's Ukraine or Iran, Greenland or Venezuela - the most pressing issues are discussed and negotiated on the fringes of the WEF.
This is mainly due to one participant: Donald Trump. On Wednesday afternoon, the US President will address around 3,000 representatives from the worlds of politics, business, society and science. Before that, however, the Republican is once again causing a stir with new tariffs against European countries.
In the conflict over Greenland, Trump announced tariffs against Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland on his short message service Truth Social on Saturday. They would initially amount to 10 percent on all goods from February 1. From June 1, they are to rise to 25 percent.
This tariff is due until an agreement is reached on the "complete and comprehensive purchase of Greenland", Trump emphasized. He has repeatedly made it clear that the resource-rich Arctic island must become the property of the USA for national security reasons.
This is likely to provide additional fuel in Davos. After all, the talks behind the scenes are likely to be at least as important as Trump's speech on the stage of the congress center. With its winding corridors and many small rooms, the WEF seems almost predestined for literal backroom politics. Heavy security precautions and the seclusion of the luxury hotels in the town reinforce such possibilities.
Trump is coming to the WEF for the third time as US President; last year he allowed himself to be digitally connected just days after being sworn in. This may come as a surprise at first glance: The 79-year-old is not one of the "Davos Men". The "Davos Men", as the US political scientist Samuel Huntington described them more than 20 years ago, are advocates of globalization and want to replace national borders and the logic of politics with the power of the market. Trump, on the other hand, likes to play the role of globalization critic and ultra-nationalist in front of his supporters.
But Trump is also flattered by the attention and proximity of influence, power and money, as analysts point out. Being the center of attention of hundreds of top politicians and top managers is likely to appeal to the US president. The fact that he is also bringing a high-ranking delegation with him, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as well as special envoys and top negotiators Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, is likely to add to the excitement. With a "USA House" housed in a church, there is a contact point outside the inner security zone.
Even before the meeting begins, it is clear that Trump acts like a magnet for heads of state and government from all over the world. A record number of VIPs have announced their attendance. A total of 123 people with protection status are traveling to Davos, said overall head of operations Walter Schlegel to the media on Friday. 400 guests, including 64 heads of state, enjoy protection under international law and require appropriate measures.
Kilometre-long fence walls characterize Davos during the WEF. The security requirements are becoming more stringent from year to year.
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It is expected that there will be several bilateral meetings on the fringes of the conference - and perhaps even a Ukraine summit with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky and the Europeans around Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron. It is hoped that the US President will agree to security guarantees.
The result: completely unclear. Every meeting with Trump and his staff is considered risky. During a recent visit to Washington, German Vice Chancellor Klingbeil expressed the German government's "great concern" about the transatlantic relationship. Discussions are becoming increasingly difficult and differences are growing. For Germany, the USA is no longer just a trading partner under Trump, but a competitor.
The constant uncertainty is not only affecting many EU countries, as the WEF's risk report shows. According to the report, a "geo-economic confrontation" is by far the greatest threat to the world. The WEF defines this as "the use of economic leverage by global or regional powers to reshape economic interactions between nations". That sounds pretty much like a summary of Trump's policy of high tariffs and threats against allies.
From the WEF's point of view, Davos is the best place to discuss and, if possible, resolve such conflicts. Accordingly, the motto is "A Spirit of Dialogue". However, in view of Trump's brusque approach, many analysts doubt that the US president has the same understanding of dialog as his discussion partners.
No matter what is discussed in Davos in the end: With his presence alone, Trump, who sells himself as the "anti-Davos man", could become a kind of savior of the WEF.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on globalization as well as the war in Ukraine, world politics has been at the forefront of the Munich Security Conference in recent years. Most recently, Trump's Vice President JD Vance made a sensational appearance there.
When allegations that WEF founder Klaus Schwab and his wife had misbehaved financially and ethically caused a stir in spring 2025, the future of the congress in the Swiss mountains suddenly seemed more uncertain than ever.
But the situation has calmed down. In August, following an investigation, the WEF announced: "There is no evidence of serious misconduct on the part of Klaus Schwab." The 87-year-old, the face of the WEF for decades, may no longer play a leading role, but he was rehabilitated - and with Trump's confirmation, the meeting in Davos was also rehabilitated.
While the then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was still the only head of government of a G7 member at the WEF in 2023, six of the seven are now attending with their most important representative. No doubt also because the crises of global politics converge like threads in Davos.
18.01.2026, 09:07
