在今年世界经济论坛的会址——庄重典雅的会议中心里，人们小声谈论着同一个话题：中国人怎么没来？在阿尔卑斯山脚举办的该论坛，总能吸引世界最高级别的领导人和商界巨头汇聚一堂，可这次中国竟然连一个高级别官员都没出席，这还是头一遭。

    一位与会者问道，这是否因为中国经济形势如此之好，以至于中国政府觉得没必要派高层前来？另一位则揣测，中国持如此保留态度是因为政府换届在即。这些说法都有可能，不过，还是一家印度能源公司首席执行官的说法最靠谱。他说：“你们知道吧，这是春节期间。”

    去年达沃斯论坛的气氛相当乐观，聚集于此的嘉宾们认为美国正在走出衰退，中国则防止了泡沫破灭，而巴西、印度及其他发展中国家一派红火景象。

    上述这些方面依然如故，可欧元区的债务危机使大家的情绪受了很大影响，不复去年景象。总的来说气氛仍是乐观的，但比去年要谨慎得多。

    尽管有些银行家认为欧洲债务危机最困难的时刻已经过去，前面还有许多工作要做。英国首相戴维•卡梅伦今天为欧元区描述的蓝图显得有些黯淡——他指出，经济增长正在放缓，而债务猛增、失业率高涨。

    卡梅伦认为，欧盟之成立是历史上的重要一课，要使欧盟变得更有竞争力，政府必须“大胆地”采取行动。“小修小补再也不行了。”他指出。他开出的药方包括：政府应削减养老金负担、下调企业税率并去除影响就业的监管规定。

    如今，欧盟各国领袖最需要做的是赢得工会的认可——欧洲的工会实力强大，不大可能会轻易接受上述方案。

    Whispered in the halls of the World Economic Forum's elegant Congress Center this year: Where are the Chinese? For the first time since anyone can remember, China has not sent a high level official to this Alpine gathering of the world's top leaders and business titans.

    Could it be that the Chinese economy is doing so well that Beijing felt no need to send a high-level entourage, one participant asked. Another speculated the Chinese held off because their government is in transition. Perhaps, but the explanation that makes the most sense came from the CEO of an Indian energy company. "You know," he said. "It's the Chinese New Year."

    Last year, the mood at Davos was quite positive, as those gathered here felt that America was coming out of its slump, China had avoided a bursting bubble and Brazil, India, and the rest of the developing world were humming.

    All that is still true, but the crisis in the Euro Zone has put a bit of a damper on last year's enthusiasm. The buzz this year is still optimistic but much more cautiously so.

    While some bankers think Europe has put the worst of the debt crisis behind it, there's still a lot of heavy hauling ahead. Prime Minister David Cameron today painted a somewhat bleak picture for the Euro Zone where, as he pointed out, growth is slowing and debt and unemployment are rising.

    Cameron believes the European Union is in a crucial moment in its history and "bold" government action is needed to make the EU more competitive. "Tinkering won't cut it anymore," he said. Among his prescriptions: governments need to cut pension obligations, slice the corporate tax rate, and eliminate job-stifling regulations.

    Now all Europe's leaders need to do is win over the EU's strong unions, which aren't likely to receive these prescriptions with an open heart.