DAVOS - Concrete blocks and mesh fencing closed parts of the promenade on Saturday as the World Economic Forum meeting prepared to open on Monday. Cantonal police, reinforced by officers from other cantons and by army units authorised up to 5,000 personnel for the 2025 to 2027 meetings, ran the usual drill: badges, bus lanes, and a list of internationally protected persons numbered in the low hundreds.
Organisers expect more than 2,500 participants from business, politics and science, and about 400 journalists. Locals talked about supermarket hours and whether the ski bus would still stop near the Congress Centre.
A permitted argument
Graubuenden has again said it is willing in principle to allow a demonstration, provided it stays peaceful. The official Swiss line for the week is in our meeting report: sell predictability, and keep the side rooms useful.