ECB President Walks Out in Protest During U.S. Commerce Secretary's Speech... Al Gore Boos

Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, caused a commotion while delivering a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), abruptly left her seat, and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore booed.

According to Bloomberg and the Financial Times (FT) on January 21 (local time), the incident occurred during a dinner event held the previous evening, where Secretary Lutnick was the final speaker.

Reuters Yonhap News

In his speech, Secretary Lutnick criticized the competitiveness of the European economy, comparing it unfavorably to the strong competitiveness of the United States. He also argued that the world should rely on coal as an energy source rather than renewable energy.

Lutnick's aggressive remarks sparked unrest at the event. Attendees told the FT that Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock and interim co-chair of the Davos Forum, called for calm as participants booed, and several attendees, including President Lagarde, walked out in protest.

A European CEO and a eurozone official who attended the event defended President Lagarde's actions to Bloomberg, stating that Europe needs to speak up for itself.

Two attendees told the FT that one of the people who booed was former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Commerce stated that during Secretary Lutnick's three-minute speech, no one left their seat, and the only person who booed was former Vice President Gore.

In response, former Vice President Gore said, "I sat and listened to his remarks. I did not disrupt him in any way," adding, "It is no secret that I think this (Trump) administration's energy policy is outrageous. When his speech ended, I expressed my feelings, as did others."