On the eve of the opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the British newspaper Financial Times described a special “fifth language“ used by regular visitors to the event.
In addition to the four official languages of Switzerland, the forum, as the newspaper ironically notes, has a specific variant of English - the “Davos dialect”, filled with euphemisms and clichés about the global agenda. Davos itself, which forum participants usually describe as the “heart of Europe“, is located in “backwoods“, notes the FT.
In 2026, the World Economic Forum (WEF) will be held from 19 to 23 January. Representatives of the political and business elite will discuss issues related to international security and the economy, and will touch on the topic of artificial intelligence. The main theme of the event is “The Spirit of Dialogue“.
The forum has been held in Davos since 1971. The city is located in the Alps in eastern Switzerland at an altitude of over 1,500 meters and is also known as a ski resort.
The publication presented an ironic “Davos phrasebook“, translating typical expressions from participants in “everyday“ language. For example, the phrase "This year's theme is "The Spirit of Dialogue," the newspaper says, means "Idiots rule, so we should talk to them," while the slogan "Davos is the perfect place to escape from everyday life" refers to top managers who "just announced mass layoffs and fled the office."
The newspaper highlights common claims about the "era of mini-lateralism," the "new era of opportunity," and the "Indian moment," as well as the real interests of corporations and politicians: from the desire to attract customers from fast-growing economies to investments in "proven" oil projects. The phrasebook refers to the latest political news. For example, according to him, the phrase for a president of a country joining a forum via video link means “He feared he would be kidnapped by US special forces“. This refers to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
According to the publication, having a Davos card opens the door to thousands of new connections on LinkedIn, invitations to meditative networking sessions and offers to invest in “the world's first blockchain-based dating app, ready for quantum technologies“.
Now, the newspaper jokes, the question remains whether this text is enough to convince the company to pay the bill for the trip to Davos using a corporate card.