On global leadership at Davos
Just spent a fun hour at the annual BBC World Debate. This year the topic was the question of global leadership, presenting grist for lively discussion. The format is pretty standard here — they have four on the panel and another four in the front who they turn to for debate and questions. I was one of the latter. Originally I ...
Just spent a fun hour at the annual BBC World Debate. This year the topic was the question of global leadership, presenting grist for lively discussion. The format is pretty standard here -- they have four on the panel and another four in the front who they turn to for debate and questions. I was one of the latter. Originally I saw U.S. congressman (and Davos fixture of late, oddly enough) Barney Frank listed to sit next to me… but when I bumped into him beforehand, he said he wasn't showing up to sit in the audience and ask questions. Sad, as he usually causes some trouble. No dearth of status issues at Davos.
Just spent a fun hour at the annual BBC World Debate. This year the topic was the question of global leadership, presenting grist for lively discussion. The format is pretty standard here — they have four on the panel and another four in the front who they turn to for debate and questions. I was one of the latter. Originally I saw U.S. congressman (and Davos fixture of late, oddly enough) Barney Frank listed to sit next to me… but when I bumped into him beforehand, he said he wasn’t showing up to sit in the audience and ask questions. Sad, as he usually causes some trouble. No dearth of status issues at Davos.
Speaking of last minute substitutions, U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was supposed to be on the panel, which also would’ve mixed it up. But he got stuck/snowed in back in Washington. So, the Council on Foreign Affairs President Richard Haass stepped in, and actually did an extremely credible job last minute. Mostly because he was so balanced, standing solid ground on core policy principles while coming across as a thoroughly reasonable American (as opposed to, say, JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon, who a couple of hours later got thoroughly flogged as a rapacious and repugnant banker type by French president Nicolas Sarkozy).
Panelist Christine Lagarde, French minister of Economic Affairs, was mostly talking G-20 with France hosting the next summit meeting. Which provided the me-too plug of the forum so far, as Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski stood up with an impassioned plea that the G-20 could be really effective and show leadership if only we brought in a few other of the world’s key countries. Like Norway and the world’s 21st largest economy… Poland. Say what? At which point I stood up and said it would be great if we could actually get to a G-20… or a G-21 with… (derisive pause) Poland. The challenge was that we didn’t actually have either. Lagarde actually laughed. Which gave me the chance to kick off a fairly lively debate on values and leadership.
Victor Chu of First Eastern Investment provided the China line — China’s still a developing country. Give them time. The train has left the station on Chinese leadership. And with great velocity. But it hasn’t actually arrived anywhere yet. More G-zero. I’m having fun with this.
Ian Bremmer is the president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media. He is also the host of the television show GZERO World With Ian Bremmer. Twitter: @ianbremmer
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