The Davos Paradox

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How can the rich and powerful fix the world if they’re the problem?

By Cameron Abadi, a deputy editor at Foreign Policy, and Adam Tooze, a columnist at Foreign Policy and director of the European Institute at Columbia University. Sign up for Adam’s Chartbook newsletter here.

The AlpenGold Hotel ahead of the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The AlpenGold Hotel ahead of the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, on Dec. 30, 2023. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) Forum Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

The 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum takes place this week in the small Swiss village of Davos. As always, the world’s political and economic decision-makers will gather to discuss their mutual interests and how they align with the interests of the rest of the world. This year, they’ll do so under the convening theme of “Rebuilding Trust.”

Cameron Abadi is a deputy editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @CameronAbadi

Adam Tooze is a columnist at Foreign Policy and a history professor and the director of the European Institute at Columbia University. He is the author of Chartbook, a newsletter on economics, geopolitics, and history. Twitter: @adam_tooze