A sharp diplomatic incident occurred on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos: US Trade Minister Howard Lutnick caused widespread outrage during a speech at a VIP dinner hosted by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.
According to sources at the Financial Times, Lutnick sharply criticised European economies in his speech, accusing them of lacking competitiveness compared to the US, and also criticised Europe’s energy policy and overall economic model. The minister’s speech was accompanied by boos and shouts from the audience. Several guests, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, demonstratively left the hall during his speech.
The atmosphere at the dinner, attended by more than 100-200 high-ranking participants (including heads of state, CEOs of major companies and other key figures at the forum), quickly became heated. After the booing began and some of the guests left, Larry Fink decided to end the event early — dessert was never served.
According to some publications, among those who openly expressed their dissatisfaction was former US Vice President Al Gore, who later confirmed that he reacted to Lutnick’s speech exactly as he felt.
Representatives of the ECB and the US Department of Commerce have not yet officially commented on the incident. However, the event is already being called one of the most striking manifestations of tension between the US and Europe at the current Davos Forum.