Davos 2026 in the Age of Power Politics

William Cash | 20th January 2026 | Brussels, Diplomacy, International, Lobbying, Policy & Think Tanks, Politics
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 21: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.)  In this handout image provided by the German Government Press Office (BPA), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) speaks to (from left) Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Rotterdam Port Authority, Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson, Blake Moret, CEO Rockwell Automation, Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy AG during a working lunch with international entrepreneurs at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting on January 21, 2025 in Davos, Switzerland.  (Photo by Guido Bergmann/Bundesregierung via Getty Images)
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 21: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout image provided by the German Government Press Office (BPA), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) speaks to (from left) Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Rotterdam Port Authority, Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson, Blake Moret, CEO Rockwell Automation, Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy AG during a working lunch with international entrepreneurs at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting on January 21, 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo by Guido Bergmann/Bundesregierung via Getty Images)

Davos is meant to be the place where the global public affairs class can compress a year of stakeholder management into five days, with a badge, a diary, and a blizzard outside. In 2026 it is also where the public language of cooperation collides with the private mechanics of leverage.

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting runs from 19 to 23 January in Davos Klosters under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue, with the Forum framing discussion around five questions: cooperation in a more contested world, unlocking new sources of growth, investing in people, deploying innovation at scale and responsibly, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries. That is the official map. The real terrain is shaped by security, tariffs, sanctions, technology controls, and the hardening of blocs. For the global public affairs and diplomatic community, the key driver at Davos is not a single panel topic but a single operational reality: governments are now using economic instruments as statecraft at speed, and corporates are being asked to pick a posture, not just a position. The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2026 describes an age of competition, with the short term risk ranking led by geoeconomic confrontation, misinformation and disinformation, and societal polarisati...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



‘It’s like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic’: Hospitality leaders say Budget ‘breathing space’ does not go far enough

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 29, 2026

Cut business rates, increased minimum wage, and an overnight tourism levy give mixed results to the struggling sector

UK Budget 2026: Energy Bill Relief, North Sea Oil and Gas, and the Cost of Britain’s Green Transition

Anna Bryzhko | October 29, 2026

The government has promised to ease energy bills while investing in Britain's energy future. But can it support North Sea production, expand clean power and meet climate commitments

Found the Budget boring? Burnham may be thinking of an early election

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 28, 2026

After weeks of anticipation, Healey’s maiden budget looks to designed to re-assure the markets that Labour are fiscally responsible.

Power couples: The lobbyists closest to the budget

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 28, 2026

Up to 24 MPs have disclosed details of “family members engaged in lobbying the public sector on behalf of a third party or client”; Mace investigates the most

The not-so-dark arts: conservation charities are turning to lobbyists for help

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 27, 2026

Conservation groups and animal rescue charities are ramping up their hiring of lobbyists to help them influence policy

Is Britain’s welfare Bill out of control?

Ella Beadman | October 27, 2026

Ahead of the hotly anticipated Budget on Wednesday, Ella Beadman analyses what it could mean for welfare spending

Excellera buys Brussels public affairs firm

Mace | October 22, 2026

Excellera, the EMEA-focused corporate affairs consultancy, has made its latest acquisition, picking up Fourtold, the Brussels-based public affairs and policy comms firm.

What Can Britain Expect for Defence Spending in the Autumn Budget?

Anna Bryzhko | October 22, 2026

The government has pledged billions more for Britain's military. But can it finance those promises without squeezing other public services?

Healey’s first Budget: Economic pressures and potential tax rises

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 21, 2026

With just a week until the first Budget of the Burnham government is released, Mace analyses what the Chancellor’s biggest challenges are and what taxes might be brought

Farzana Baduel, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Curzon PR and CIPR President: “Leadership is about serving others”

Mace | October 20, 2026

Having started her first business at 20, Farzana recognises that leadership requires continuous learning and practice.