One last chance to preserve the old world order?

We may not see the same people in the classic photo above, but the situation speaks to the same kind of mood as we approach perhaps the biggest WEF event ever. Yes, it is that time of the year again. Global politics will take center stage and all eyes are on Davos as US president Trump is set to make a live appearance after having done so virtually last year.

Make no mistake about it. Trump loves Davos. It’s his one chance a year to act like the mafia boss among global leaders and make a show of his power by flaunting the US agenda.

This time will be no different. And he’s already setting the stage up for it with the announcements over the weekend.

Trump has already launched an attack on the EU, threatening tariffs unless he gets his way with Greenland. Now, that will surely make for a bewildering yet awkward meet in Davos in the coming days.

The theme that the forum will carry this year is ‘A Spirit of Dialogue’. It is meant to emphasise on communication among global players when geopolitical tensions are pushing everything to the edge.

And while there will surely be plenty of talking moments and conversations on the sidelines, the Trump approach has always been to use this kind of opportunity to hard sell his ideals and convictions.

So, is the Davos agenda basically dead on arrival? Perhaps.

EU leaders will definitely want to find ways to speak to Trump about Greenland but don’t expect him to entertain offers here. Besides the Greenland issue, Trump will also have to deal with other global influences including the likes of Canada, Ukraine, and China. So, expect the big man to want to show that he holds all the cards on the table.

Either way, it’s worth tuning in and keeping an eye out for key headlines during the event. Here are some of the main speakers on the agenda on the week:

• 20/1 0950 GMT – European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen delivers her special address**
• 20/1 1020 GMT – China vice premier He Lifeng delivers his special address*
• 20/1 1300 GMT – French president Emmanuel Macron delivers his special address*
• 20/1 1330 GMT – US Treasury secretary Bessent participates in a speaking session*
• 20/1 1530 GMT – Canada prime minister Mark Carney delivers his special address*
• 21/1 1030 GMT – Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang participates in a speaking session*
• 21/1 1200 GMT – JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon participates in a speaking session*
• 21/1 1330 GMT – US president Donald Trump delivers his special address***
• 22/1 1030 GMT – Germany chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers his special address*

The full programme can be found here.

This article was written by Justin Low at investinglive.com.