Salzburg once again hosted an international business conference featuring prominent figures from the worlds of business, academia, and politics, under the theme “Alliances in a New Global Order.” / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Pemolo [CC BY-SA 3.0 at (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en)]Two international heavyweights in world politics generated particular excitement. Antony Blinken, the former U.S. Secretary of State (2021–2025 under Joe Biden), made his first appearance in Austria since leaving office. European Celebrities and Austrian Government LeadersIn addition to the guests from overseas, the summit brought together the who’s who of European leadership. Naturally, the economy and energy were also discussed, along with ways to strengthen European competitiveness and transform energy systems.