– We feel the pressure from the outside world. War in Ukraine and economic downturns. There is much at stake for the world in the coming year, says Børge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum.
Davos is ready for a major breakthrough. The world’s elite in politics and business will once again meet in the alpine village in winter. For debates, panel discussions, mingling, good food and drink.
THE PRESIDENT: Brende criticizes Norway for lacking a clear plan for stepping up the Armed Forces in a time of war. It cannot be because Norway lacks money, he believes. Photo: Salvatore di Nolfi/Keystone via AP
The host of the meeting is Børge Brende, who has, among other things, been foreign minister in Erna Solberg’s first government and deputy leader of the Conservative Party.
The backdrop for the meeting is almost a year of war in Europe. And the danger of a third of the world going into recession, economic decline.
– I hope that we will achieve results linked to speeding up the global economy. And not least within the climate area.
Private plane vs air conditioning
The Davos meeting is loved and hated. Some think it is too much for the elite to arrive in private planes and helicopters. At the same time as they tell the rest of the world that they must drive less cars or eat less meat.
The last time the Davos participants met, there were over 1,000 private plane operations during the meeting, according to a survey carried out for Greenpeace.
– What do you say to that criticism?
– I don’t know if there are that many people who come by private plane and don’t eat meat. But of course it is the case that when there are more than 50 heads of state and heads of government, many of them have flights from their country.
COMING: Climate activist Greta Thunberg is coming to deliver a letter to the leaders of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. Photo: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
In the main street in Davos, many of the ordinary shops have been leased to giants such as Meta and Microsoft. Or countries like Saudi Arabia, the Emirates or India. Everything for events during the Davos week. Norwegian Yara has furnished the Yara Earth Café. From Norway, the top managers of, among others, DnB, Telenor, Equinor, Aker and Hydro participate.
THE BACKREST: The war in Ukraine casts shadows over the Davos meeting. President Vladimir Putin participated digitally at the World Economic Forum as late as 2021. Photo: CHRISTIAN HARTMANN
The Russians are naturally not invited. As recently as 2021, President Vladimir Putin attended the Davos meeting digitally. The American president is not coming. Several business celebrities, such as Elon Musk, also stay at home.
From Monday, 1,700 business leaders and around 50 heads of state and government will arrive. Over 300 ministers, and among them a record number of finance ministers. Olena Zelenskyj, the spouse of the Ukrainian president, also attends. The US and China are in Davos with large delegations.
WILL NOT COME: President of China, Xi Jinping has sent his deputy prime minister to Davos to meet, among other things, the United States. Together, the US and China account for almost half of the world economy. Photo: Ruben Sprich/Reuters
– Many warn against China, what do you mean?
– China is the world’s second largest economy. Together with the United States, they have almost half of the world economy. That is why it is important to have a dialogue with China.
Brende points out that the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister will be asked about how things are going with the reduction of climate emissions and the Covid policy.
– Solid job
In the absence of the very biggest “headliners”, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg sails up as one of the top names on the programme.
– He has done a very solid job of keeping the alliance together and sending clear signals to Putin. After all, Putin had believed that NATO and Europe would split. But what he has got is a Europe that stands more together than ever.
STAM GUEST: Jens Stoltenberg has been to Davos many times both as NATO chief and prime minister. After meetings in Washington DC, Brende is convinced that the Americans will go to great lengths to get Stoltenberg into a new top job, if he wants to. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI
Brende has recently been to the US and had high-level talks in the US capital. Stoltenberg is mentioned as a candidate to either become the new head of the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. Both top jobs in Washington DC. Stoltenberg’s term in NATO is scheduled to end on 1 October.
Traditionally, an American has been head of the World Bank, while a European has had the job of head of the IMF, the International Monetary Fund.
– In any case, I know that there are many in Washington DC and in the White House who greatly value the work that Jens Stoltenberg has done in NATO. He has been tough, not budging a millimeter vis-à-vis Lavrov and Putin. I think that also shows leadership qualities that are important in these jobs, should they become vacant.
– There is no doubt that the Americans are willing to go to great lengths to get him a new top job?
– What I know from my talks in Washington a few weeks ago is that they have said that they are very satisfied with the work Jens Stoltenberg has done in NATO and if there were other open positions internationally, I think he will get a strong American support.
Brende says it is more a question of whether Stoltenberg himself wants a new top job.
Critical of Norway
Brende is concerned that Norway does not have a clear escalation plan for the Armed Forces in a time of war. He emphasizes that he means this as a former foreign minister. The NATO countries have committed to spend 2 percent of GDP, the gross domestic product, on defense by 2024. Norway is one of the countries that does not reach the target, and has no plan for how to reach it either.
– We are three or four NATO countries that do not have this. We have NATO’s secretary general and it is not that Norway lacks money. We have a neighbor in Russia, who has used weapons against an innocent country. There is no reason why Norway should not now agree on an escalation plan.
WANTS A PLAN: Former Foreign Minister Brende is calling for a clear plan to step up spending on the Armed Forces. Norway is one of the few countries in NATO that does not have such a plan, in order to reach the funding target of spending two percent of GDP on defence. Photo: Anette Ask / The Armed Forces
– Surely your former government is also responsible for this?
– There is no doubt that things have changed after Ukraine. The Conservative Party was not in a government position at the time, but I hope this can be a cross-party initiative.
He points out that after the invasion, Germany presented a plan and money to meet the 2 percent target. Brende believes that Norway must have a defence, which is much stronger than today.
– This is a pittance compared to what we have to protect. Namely our country and everything we hold dear.
