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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was heckled during a dinner at the World Economic Forum in Davos after European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde walked out mid-event, according to media reports.
The incident took place on Tuesday night (January 20) at a private dinner hosted by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who is also a co-chairman of the WEF. The gathering was attended by heads of state, senior policymakers and leading business executives.
Lutnick’s remarks spark backlash
Lutnick faced heckling from guests while delivering his remarks, as per reports. Reports also said that Lagarde left the dinner during a portion of Lutnick’s speech that was sharply critical of Europe.
According to reports, the comments triggered audible disapproval from the audience, with some guests heckling as the speech continued. Lagarde exited shortly thereafter, and several attendees were seen leaving the venue.
Dinner called off early
Following the disruption, Fink reportedly decided to end the dinner early, calling it off before dessert was served.
The invitation-only dinner was attended by more than 100 senior policymakers and business leaders, with Lutnick scheduled as the final speaker. Reports said his remarks belittled European economies and questioned their competitiveness compared with the United States.
On Wednesday morning, Lagarde told RTL radio that the world was entering “a new world order,” criticising threats over Greenland and the use of tariffs.
“Threatening to take a territory like Greenland that is not for sale, and brandishing tariffs and restrictions on global trade, isn’t really behaving like an ally,” she said.
English (US) ·