Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a stirring speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, warning that the US-led global system of governance is enduring “a rupture” defined by intense great power competition.
Carney delivered this stirring speech at the World Economic Forum just one day before US President Donald Trump addresses the gathering. Since entering Canadian politics last year, Carney has consistently warned that the world will never return to a pre-Trump normal. He reaffirmed that message on Tuesday through an analysis that highlighted the president’s massive impact on all global affairs.
“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney said during his highly anticipated keynote address, noting that Canada previously benefited from the old “rules-based international order” and the stability provided by “American hegemony.” This historical system helped provide public goods like open sea lanes, stable financial systems, collective security, and frameworks for resolving disputes. However, Carney insisted that a new and far more volatile reality has finally set in for all modern nations.
“Call it what it is: a system of intensifying great power rivalry where the most powerful pursue their interests using economic integration as coercion.”
The Strategy for Middle Powers
In an apparent warning against efforts to appease major powers, Carney said middle powers can no longer hope for safety. “It won’t,” he said regarding whether simple compliance would protect nations like Canada from the current shift in global power.
Carney believes the question for middle powers is not whether to adapt, but how they choose to handle this change. Nations must decide if they will build higher walls or attempt to lead the world toward a more ambitious future.
“Middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” Carney told the crowd.
He explained that great powers currently have the market size and military capacity to dictate terms and go it alone. Conversely, middle powers lack that specific leverage and must find strength through collective action and new strategic international partnerships.
Rising Tensions and Territorial Sovereignty
This speech follows reports from the Globe and Mail regarding the Canadian military’s model response to a potential US invasion, with sources claiming the Canadian model centers on insurgency-style tactics similar to those used by fighters during the conflict in Afghanistan.
Tensions remain high after President Trump repeatedly referred to the northern neighbor as the 51st state during his new term. While annexation talk eased recently, Trump posted a map overnight showing Canada and Venezuela covered by the American flag. This image implied a full US takeover, further overshadowing the Davos meeting alongside the president’s threats to control Greenland.
“Canada stands firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully supports their unique right to determine Greenland’s future,” Carney concluded firmly.
