SWITZERLAND: The World Economic Forum (WEF), which stages the annual Davos economic meeting in Switzerland, is planning to hold a major conference of European leaders in Dublin next year, The Irish Times has learned.
A Government spokesman confirmed yesterday that it was in discussions to hold the conference which is likely to attract a large number of anti-globalisation protesters who have clashed with police at previous forum gatherings.
"We approached the Irish Government about holding the conference in the second half of next year," said Mr Andre Schneider, knowledge director at the WEF, a think-tank of political, business and academic leaders of world renown.
He said the conference would discuss "European competitiveness" and would be held in a different European city each year.
The WEF and the Government stressed that plans were at an early stage, however The Irish Times understands that a formal decision will be made by the end of the month.
Last week the WEF announced it would no longer hold its annual conference in the Austrian city of Salzburg. During the 2001 conference, police scuffled with stone-throwing protesters and one officer was injured.
Last year's demonstration was peaceful, however, as over 5,000 protesters marched through Salzburg carrying banners reading "Smash the Power of Banks and Business". Attac, the anti-globalisation organisation behind the demonstrations, calls the WEF a non-democratic organisation only interested in globalisation for financial gain.
The WEF gave no reason for ending the Salzburg summit but said it was not related to plans for a Dublin conference, an explanation rejected by Attac-Austria yesterday. "We believe they are ending the Salzburg conference because of bad publicity," said Mr Bernhard Obermayr of Attac-Austria in Salzburg.
He said he was confident that the WEF will be confronted with the same issues in Dublin as in Salzburg. "We wish our friends in Ireland lots of fun in the organisation of a protest. Naturally we offer our know-how," said Mr Obermayr.
The end of the WEF annual conference in Salzburg came as a shock to the city, according to the city's mayor. "Certainly I am not happy about the situation, neither are most of the local business people," said Mr Heinz Schaden, the city mayor. "The conference brought thousands of people with spending power to Salzburg. Hotels and restaurants were full."
He said the event had an overwhelmingly positive effect on the city and only turned violent in 2001. A Government spokesman said no decisions had been made on the costs of the proposed Dublin conference.
