Elite clubs as career elevator? Mixed evidence from the Bilderberg Group

Motto: “Bilderberg meetings often feature future political leaders shortly before they become household names. Bill Clinton went in 1991 while still governor of Arkansas, Tony Blair was there two years later while still an opposition MP. All the recent presidents of the European Commission attended Bilderberg meetings before they were appointed. This has led to accusations that the group pushes its favored politicians into high office.” (BBC, 29.9.2005).

Abstract

This article is the first systematic examination of the proposition that politicians can foster their careers through affiliations with transnational elite clubs. Focusing on the Euro-Atlantic Bilderberg Group, I provide preliminary evidence in support of the proposition. I argue that politicians invited to the exclusive meetings gain valuable contacts, insider information and probably some backing. Still, most politicians who participated at Bilderberg conferences were never later elevated. But 133 were and sometimes even shortly after their appearance at the gatherings. Of these mainly European politicians, 42 became prime ministers, presidents, or top representatives of international organizations like EU, NATO, IMF. However, I mostly found correlation, not causation. Only in several cases, there are additional indicia which suggest that “factor Bilderberg” was really one of the reasons for career advancements. On the other hand, the suspicion of the Bilderberg Group's direct influence on personnel policy cannot be confirmed.

Appendix

The tables below enumerate all politicians who were elevated after their attendance at some of the post-Cold War Bilderberg conference. This chronological evidence is a necessary—but not sufficient—condition for corroborating the proposition that participation at Bilderberg gatherings can yield career benefits.

The names of the politicians are drawn from lists of participants at Bilderberg conferences from 1990 to 2019. These lists are stored at “international, collaborative research project” called Public Intelligence (https://publicintelligence.net/bilderberg). This website seems to be reliable and has been cited in respected academic journals and mainstream media outlets.

However, Public Intelligence warns that the lists of participants at Bilderberg conferences from 1990 to 2006 are “unofficial and may contain inaccuracies.” So, this is the main caveat of the following dataset. Therefore, the tables perhaps do not provide precise exhaustive statistics. Yet, at least, they offer basic overview, which is sufficient for the purpose of this examination.

I counted the number of politicians who participated at Bilderberg conferences. At the same time, the tables show how many of these politicians were later elevated, to what function and when. Following people were counted as politicians: diplomats, mayors, members of parliament (MP) and government, presidents, monarchs, governors of US states, high employees (secretary, chief of staff) of public offices, military, and intelligence officers (because they serve politicians), party leaders, representatives of international governmental organizations and central bankers (because they are appointed by politicians and central banks are state institutions).

As elevation I took significant career advancements, especially from MP to member of government, from minister to prime minister (PM), from MP or minister to high representative of international organization, and from governor of one US state to president of the United States. So, for instance: Manuel Valls attended Bilderberg gathering in 2008 as MP (see Table 19) and in 2012 he became minister and in 2014 PM. Therefore, he is counted among political participants of Bilderberg conference in 2008 who were later elevated.

Importantly, the category “later elevated politicians” include only those politicians who after their first Bilderberg experience reached (significantly) higher position(s) than they held any time before Bilderberg experience. Therefore, the tables do not list some people who nonetheless can also support the examined  proposition. Prominent examples are Michel Barnier and Mark J. Carney.

Barnier attended Bilderberg conference for the first time in 2006. On the list of participants, he is presented as “former minister” of France. In 2010, Barnier became EU commissioner (for Internal Market) and in 2016 EU chief negotiator for Brexit. Seen from this perspective, he reached significantly higher position(s) after Bilderberg experience. Yet, Barnier was EU commissioner (for Regional Policy) already before 2006, so for this reason, he is not counted among “later elevated politicians.”

Nevertheless, Barnier can also support the proposition of career benefits of affiliation to Bilderberg Group, because after his participation at Bilderberg meeting, Barnier was allowed to return to international politics (a higher level than national politics). Plus, Barnier is additional proof of the personnel overlaps between EU and Bilderberg Group.

Carney attended his first Bilderberg conference in 2011 as governor of Canadian central bank. In 2013, he became governor of British central bank. So, Carney did not reach higher position after Bilderberg experience (and therefore is not mentioned among “later elevated politicians”), but he got the same top job in another country, which is unusual. Moreover, in Britain, Carney was appointed by another Bilderberger George Osborne, which is further indicia that “factor Bilderberg” could play some role in his impressive career.

As already indicated, many promoted politicians appeared at numerous Bilderberg conferences. Yet, they are counted only once into the category “later elevated politicians.” For example, Dutch minister Ad Melkert attended Bilderberg conference for the first time in 1996. In 2002, he became executive director at World Bank. So, in Table 7 about Bilderberg conference in 1996, Melkert is included among “later elevated politicians.” In 2001, he again participated at Bilderberg conference. Yet, in Table 12 about Bilderberg conference in 2001, Melkert is not mentioned among “later elevated politicians,” because each year only new names are counted.

Perhaps, other researchers would choose different ways of counting that could lead to (slightly) different numbers. But that is not decisive, because for my  argument, what matters most, are not exact numbers, but general trends. And the tables unveil clear pattern—most politicians who attended Bilderberg conferences were never later elevated. But 133  of them were and sometimes even shortly after their participation at the gathering.

See Tables

Table 1 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May 1990 in New York, USA.

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Table 2 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 1991 in Baden-Baden, Germany. https://publicintelligence.net/1991-bilderberg-meeting-participant-list/

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Table 3 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May 1992 in Evian-les-Bains, France.

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Table 4 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in April 1993 in Vouliagmeni, Greece.

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Table 5 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 1994 in Helsinki, Finland.

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Table 6 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 1995 in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Table 7 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May–June 1996 in Toronto, Canada.

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Table 8 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 1997 in Atlanta, USA.

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Table 9 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May 1998 in Ayrshire, Britain.

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Table 10 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 1999 in Sintra, Portugal.

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Table 11 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2000 in Brussels, Belgium.

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Table 12 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May 2001 in Stenungsbaden, Sweden.

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Table 13 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May–June 2002 in Chantilly, USA.

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Table 14 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May 2003 in Versailles, France.

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Table 15 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2004 in Stresa, Italy.

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Table 16 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May 2005 in Rottach-Egern, Germany.

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Table 17 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2006 in Ottawa, Canada.

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Table 18 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2007 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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Table 19 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2008 in Chantilly, USA.

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Table 20 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May 2009 in Vouliagmeni, Greece.

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Table 21 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2010 in Sitges, Spain.

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Table 22 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2011 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

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Table 23 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May–June 2012 in Chantilly, USA.

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Table 24 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2013 in Watford, UK.

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Table 25 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May–June 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Table 26 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2015 in Telfs-Buchen, Austria.

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Table 27 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2016 in Dresden, Germany.

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Table 28 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2017 in Chantilly, USA.

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Table 29 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in June 2018 in Turin, Italy.

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Table 30 Politicians at Bilderberg conference in May–June 2019 in Montreux, Switzerland.

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