The Current Carney got a standing ovation for his Davos speech. Now what?
Jan 22, 2026
Roland Paris, a foreign policy advisor and director at the University of Ottawa, Louise Blay, a former Canadian diplomat and UN ambassador, and Thorsten Benner, co-founder of the Global Public Policy Institute, dive deep into Mark Carney's provocative Davos speech. They explore how middle powers like Canada must adapt to a shifting global order. Discussions highlight the risks of marginalization, the reality of double standards in international relations, and the need for strategic alliances. They emphasize the importance of domestic mobilization and pragmatic engagement with the U.S. and Europe.
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Old Order Is Over, Coordination Needed
- Mark Carney argued the old international order is gone and compliance will not buy safety.
- He called on middle powers to coordinate resistance rather than accommodate shifting great-power coercion.
Middle Powers Benefited — With Tradeoffs
- Middle powers prospered under the old rules but tolerated hypocrisies that disadvantaged the global South.
- The current moment exposes those double standards and forces a rethink of cooperative strategies.
Mounting Resistance Can Bend Bulls
- Trump's Greenland episode showed he can back down under mounting multilateral resistance or market pressure.
- That moment illustrates the leverage middle powers gain when they coordinate pushback.