The 56th edition of the World Economic Forum (Davos 2026) came to an end, an event classified as one of the most hectic meetings in the five decades of its existence, despite the fact that its main objective on this occasion was to become “a spirit of dialogue.”
For five days, from January 19 to 23, 2026, the agenda of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, occupied a prominent place with some topics that stood out:
- The transatlantic fracture caused by Trump’s intentions to buy Greenland and annex it to the US.
- This controversial issue distracted the efforts of the European Union to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia, an armed conflict that is entering its fourth year.
- In the same way, the Peace Board emerged, an entity that will be headed by Trump in order to administer the Gaza Strip.
- Faced with the ‘yoke’ of Trump, the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, raised his hand to lead an alternative to the world proposed by the US president, stating that “the countries that remain in the middle have a choice: compete with each other to gain the favor of others, or unite to create a third way with impact.”
Middle powers are reading the global moment
The middle powers agreed that the old order no longer holds. From Europe to Asia, leaders described a world of permanent disruption, not transition.
However, despite their differences, these countries agreed on a remarkably similar reading of the global moment: the rules-based order that once offered predictability has been weakened. The rivalry between great powers is no longer episodic, but structural. And waiting for the old system to reassert itself is no longer a strategy.
As Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney put it: “We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.”
In this regard, the middle powers indicated that sovereignty is being redefined as resilience, not withdrawal.
In different regions, leaders proposed capacity building as the basis for autonomy in a more fragmented global economy.
The response is collective, not passive. Instead of waiting, middle powers are building coalitions, firming up strategies, and preparing to shape what’s next.
Geoeconomics and technology are shaping the labor market
In this vein, and after a long period of relative geoeconomic stability, geopolitics, frontier technologies, increased state interventionism, economic volatility and talent shortages are contributing to creating a more turbulent environment and greater uncertainty for business strategies.
The World Economic Forum’s report “Four Futures for the New Economy: Geoeconomics and Technology in 2030” analyzes possible scenarios for how these trends could shape the future of the global economy.
These scenarios start from a positive perspective on the transition towards a “digitalized order”, in which geopolitical stability and rapid technological adoption drive global growth, despite some labor disruptions.
The “cautious stability” scenario reduces risk premiums and shocks, but shows stagnant growth as frontier technologies such as AI are adopted only gradually, with minimal impact on employment and wages.
“Technological survival” describes a world with abundant opportunities but persistent geopolitical instability.
The fourth scenario introduces the “geopolitical-technological spheres”, in which countries trade mainly with their allies; Here, the impact of technology decreases and, although reshoring reduces polarization, the talent shortage increases.
And Europe?
The other big question that has been raised at the World Economic Forum is what role the European Union is going to play in the new scenario. The EU has been criticized on all fronts: businessmen complain of excessive bureaucracy and slowness, the United States says “not to recognize Europe”, Ukraine criticizes that Europe does not make brave decisions, even French President Emmanuel Macron asked to go beyond statements and declarations and take action.
Europe has been portrayed not as a power, but as a territory. And that is what European representatives have committed to changing for the next Davos. If the World Economic Forum continues in Davos.
