Last Updated:
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will deliver a speech on Europe’s competitiveness and Sweden’s support for Ukraine, his spokesperson told Reuters.
The annual Bilderberg Meeting is being held in Sweden (Reuters image)
The annual Bilderberg Meeting is underway with several high-profile figures attending it including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and US Army Europe and Africa Commander Christopher Donahue.
The meeting, which is the world’s most secretive meeting, does not allow any presence of media or reporters. According to the organisers, the secrecy is to allow participants to be able to speak freely in an environment of trust.
However, in 2018, an undercover Daily Mail reporter infiltrated the meeting for the first time. The journalist managed to slip into the meeting, offering rare insight into its inner workings, as reported by the news outlet itself.
The Bilderberg meeting was first held in 1954 to encourage dialogue between Europe and the United States.
The meeting brings together political leaders, business giants, academics, and military officials to privately discuss key global challenges. This year’s agenda includes transatlantic relations, artificial intelligence, critical raw materials, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“There is no desired outcome, there is no closing statement, there are no resolutions proposed or votes taken, and the Meeting does not support any political party or viewpoint,” the official website says.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will deliver a speech on Europe’s competitiveness and Sweden’s support for Ukraine, his spokesperson told Reuters.
Meanwhile, due to its secretive nature and exclusive attendees, the meeting has often drawn public suspicion and conspiracy theories.
Christina Garsten, a professor at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study who studies global think tanks believes that the actual scope of its power is still uncertain.
“They aim to shape broad policy discussions. But if they appear too powerful, they risk being seen as anti-democratic,” she said. “That’s where conspiracy theories take root,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters.
She dismissed the idea, shared by some, that groups like Bilderberg operate as a covert world government. “I think it’s very much exaggerated,” she said.
- First Published:
