World Economic Forum

===Public cost of security===
[[File:Civil Defense Police (8419542894).jpg|thumb|right|The Graubünden Civil Defense Police during the 2013 Annual Meeting in Davos]]
Critics argue that the WEF, despite having reserves of several hundred million Swiss francs and paying its executives salaries of around 1 million Swiss francs per year, would not pay any federal tax and moreover allocate a part of its costs to the public.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/geld-fuer-sicherheit-am-wef-knurrende-zustimmung-vom-staenderat-zu-wef-geldern|title=Geld für Sicherheit am WEF – Knurrende Zustimmung vom Ständerat zu WEF-Geldern|date=11 June 2021|website=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)|access-date=13 July 2021|archive-date=13 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713084558/https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/geld-fuer-sicherheit-am-wef-knurrende-zustimmung-vom-staenderat-zu-wef-geldern|url-status=live}}</ref> Following massive criticism from politicians and the Swiss civil society, the Swiss federal government decided in February 2021 to reduce its annual contributions to the WEF.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bundesrat streicht dem WEF Geld |trans-title=Federal Council cancels WEF funding |url=https://www.suedostschweiz.ch/politik/2021-02-24/bundesrat-streicht-dem-wef-geld |work=[[Die Südostschweiz]] |agency=[[Swiss Telegraphic Agency|sda]] |date=24 February 2021 |language=de |access-date=12 July 2021 |archive-date=12 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712121842/https://www.suedostschweiz.ch/politik/2021-02-24/bundesrat-streicht-dem-wef-geld |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of 2018, the police and military expenditures carried by the federal government stood at 39 million Swiss francs.<ref>[https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/abstimmungen/abstimmungen/abstimmungen-davos/davos-stimmt-ab-mehr-geld-fuer-das-wef Davos stimmt ab – Mehr Geld für das WEF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123223146/https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/abstimmungen/abstimmungen/abstimmungen-davos/davos-stimmt-ab-mehr-geld-fuer-das-wef |date=23 January 2019 }}(in German) SRF.ch. Retrieved 23 January 2019.</ref> The ''[[Aargauer Zeitung]]'' argued in January 2020 that the additional cost borne by the Kanton Graubünden stand at CHF 9 million per year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aargauerzeitung.ch%2Fschweiz%2Fdas-reiche-wef-waelzt-kosten-fuer-die-sicherheit-auf-bund-und-kantone-ab-das-stoesst-auf-kritik-136222933&prev=search|title=Das reiche WEF wälzt Kosten für die Sicherheit auf Bund und Kantone ab – das stösst auf Kritik|first=Lucien|last=Fluri|access-date=14 June 2020|archive-date=14 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614164950/https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/schweiz/das-reiche-wef-waelzt-kosten-fuer-die-sicherheit-auf-bund-und-kantone-ab-das-stoesst-auf-kritik-136222933&prev=search|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Swiss Green Party summarised their criticism within the Swiss National Council that the holding of the World Economic Forum has cost Swiss taxpayers hundreds of millions of Swiss francs over the past decades. In their view, it was however questionable to what extent the Swiss population or global community benefit from these expenditures.<ref name="Geschäft Ansehen">{{Cite web|url=https://www.parlament.ch/de/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20203289|title=20.3289 {{!}} Was nützt das WEF der Schweizer Bevölkerung?|website=Das Schweizer Parlament|language=de|access-date=25 July 2021|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725104724/https://www.parlament.ch/de/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20203289|url-status=live}}</ref>