Davos — European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde walked out of a dinner at the World Economic Forum (WEF) during a speech critical of Europe by US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, and the hosts called off the event before dessert, sources familiar with the matter said.
The ECB president exited during a passage of heavy criticism levelled at Europe by Lutnick that drew heckling at the dinner on Tuesday night, said one of the sources who was briefed on what happened.
The dinner was hosted by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink as co-chairof the WEF for all of the major members of the forum along with heads of state and other dignitaries, a person who was invited to it said.
A couple of hundred people were invited to the dinner. Fink ended the dinner before dessert after the heckling incident as people were walking out, one of the sources said.
The ECB declined to comment on the report. The US commerce department and the WEF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
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