The Davos summit is being held in person for the first time during the Covid-19 pandemic, from May 22-26.
The World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual meeting at Davos is currently underway for the first time in the summer months. The annual gathering of the world's political, economic, and business elite traditionally takes place in January against the idyllic snowy backdrop of the Swiss ski resort of Davos.
The meeting of these economic heavyweights is being protested by an unlikely group called – The Patriotic Millionaires. This group of millionaires is calling on all world leaders to introduce fresh taxes on the wealthiest in the world to tackle “cost of living scandal playing out in multiple nations around the world”.
According to The Guardian, Phil White who is part of the group said, “While the rest of the world is collapsing under the weight of an economic crisis, billionaires and world leaders meet in this private compound to discuss turning points in history…It's outrageous that our political leaders listen to those who have the most, know the least about the economic impact of this crisis, and many of whom pay infamously little in taxes. The only credible outcome from this conference is to tax the richest and tax us now. Tax the delegates attending Davos 2022.”
This year's theme for the event is "Working Together, Restoring Trust", which the WEF hopes will offer leaders a chance to take stock of the state of the world and shape policies for the crucial period ahead.
In a statement it said, "Topics on the agenda will include the pandemic recovery, tackling climate change, building a better future for work, accelerating stakeholder capitalism, and harnessing the technologies of the fourth Industrial Revolution,"
The Patriotic Millionaires, however, don't believe this will help. According to The Guardian, Djaffar Shalchi, a Danish multimillionaire engineer and property developer, said: “You don't win people's trust by holding events like Davos, where the world's rich and powerful meet behind layers of security. The most significant thing Davos participants could do to actually win people's trust is to acknowledge that the wealth and privilege they represent and protect, is incompatible with a world where everyone can live full and prosperous lives.”
The Davos summit is being held in person for the first time during the Covid-19 pandemic, from May 22-26.