Davos 2026 Confirms the Break: Elite Dialogue and the Economics of Fragmentation

The world is no longer divided by accident, but structurally, and Davos 2026 merely confirms this reality: the global elite discusses "dialogue” within an economic system that generates accelerating polarization, concentration of power, and the erosion of social trust.

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, held between January 19 and 23, 2026 under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue,” takes place in a radically different context from previous editions. Functional globalization is in retreat, the economic order is fragmented, and the relationship between capital, the state, and society is visibly under strain.

The presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, attending for the third time as head of state, further underscores this rupture. Trump arrives in Davos with the largest American delegation in the forum's history and with an explicitly pro-business, pro-deregulation, and trade-protectionist agenda. Tariffs, pressure on allies, and the use of the economy as an instrument of political power are no longer exceptions, but doctrine.

In contrast, the European Union and China-represented on the first day by Ursula von der Leyen and He Lifeng-seek to project stability and continuity within a system that is losing coherence. The fundamental difference is that neither of these visions now operates within a unified economic space.

The absence of founder Klaus Schwab, who stepped down in 2025, and the transfer of leadership to Larry Fink and Andre Hoffmann symbolically mark the transformation of the WEF from a platform of consensus into an arena for managing fractures.

The topic of artificial intelligence, dominated by the presence of Jensen Huang, is not neutral: AI has simultaneously become a driver of stock market growth, an accelerator of wealth concentration, and a source of pressure on the labor market. The discussion about the "future of work” unfolds within an economy that already excludes large segments of the population.

Beyond the conference halls, protests and critical messages reflect the same reality: trust in institutions is eroding, and public perception is that elites are discussing effects without addressing causes. Davos 2026 is not a failure of communication, but a diagnostic image of a world that no longer functions as a system.