MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS – Week Ahead 17-23 Jan

Executive Summary:

Monday 17 January:

• Global: ‘The Davos Agenda’ virtual summit gets underway following another postponement to the in-person World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland due to COVID-19. Chinese President Xi Jinping was the first major world leader to deliver address. Indian PM Narendra Modi speaks at 1600CET (1000ET, 1500GMT), and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at 1700CET (1100ET, 1600GMT).
• Eurozone: Meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels. Ministers set to discuss ‘economic adjustment and resilience’ in relation to recent euro currency performance. Also set to discuss corporate vulnerability in the wake of COVID-19, the euro area fiscal framework, and in the inclusive format (all EU member states) they will discuss the banking union. Set to start at 1500CET, presser will follow meeting. First meetings for German, Dutch, Austrian, and Luxembourgish finance ministers.
• Germany-Ukraine: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visits Kyiv for talks with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. Germany sits in a difficult position vis-à-vis the heightened Ukraine/Russia tensions. Berlin is seeking to show solidarity with Kyiv and stand with other Western nations, but also is supportive of the Nord Stream II gas pipeline strongly opposed by Kyiv and other Western capitals.
• Spain:Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hosts German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Madrid for the first bilateral between the two since the latter took office in December. Presser at 1445CET (0845ET, 1345GMT).

MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS – Week Ahead 17-23 Jan.pdf