Merkel to skip World Economic Forum in Davos this year

The Dollar Business Bureau

Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, will not attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held in Davos, a meeting which is likely to be dominated by discussions over the forthcoming presidency of Donald Trump and rising anger of public with elites and globalisation.

Since becoming the Chancellor of Germany in 2005, Merkel has been regularly attending the annual meeting of global political leaders, celebrities and CEOs.

“She had decided not to participate for a second consecutive year,” her spokesman told Reuters.

This year the conference will be scheduled from January 17-20 under the ‘Responsive and Responsible Leadership’ banner.The inauguration of Trump coincides with the final day of the conference.

“It's true that a Davos trip was being considered, but we never confirmed it, so this is not a cancellation,” the spokesman stated.

This is the first time that Merkel has skipped the WEF consecutively for two years since taking charge more than 11 years ago and her absence from the conference may be a disappointment for the organisers as her reputation is of a steady and principled leader which suits well with the agenda of this year's conference.

The government of Germany did not reveal the reason that was preventing the Chancellor from attending the conference.

However, Brexit and the election victory of Trump were said to be the reasons behind rising anger among public with the political institution and globalisation, and leaders may be reluctant to attend the conference that has become synonymous with the world’s elite.