It was supposed to be the anti-Trump week, when the liberals and globalists of the world meet in Davos to bemoan an America lost and congratulate each other on their own survival. It was fitting that the star of the World Economic Forum conference this year should be Emmanuel Macron, the liberal pro-trade, pro-Europe French president who stunted what seemed early last year like an unstoppable European populist march.
But then Donald Trump, who fancies himself the man of the people and pretends to snub the elite, decided to crash the party. Virtually all of the Trump court is decamping to the Swiss Alps, the first US president to attend the gathering in 20 years.
To the annoyance of many delegates, however, he is due to make his appearance on the last day and in the afternoon so that American television shows watch the performance. Some delegates are busy rebooking tickets and scratching plans for ski weekends in order to catch the president. Others plan to leave early.