Carney declares the old world order dead. Urges Canada and middle powers to lead forward

(Horizon Weekly) – In a blunt challenge to post-World War II internationalism, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney told global leaders at the World Economic Forum that the familiar United States-led rules-based world order has broken down and will not be returning.

What he called a “rupture, not a transition,” marks a stark reassessment of global cooperation at a time when great powers are using economic power like trade and finance as instruments of pressure and dominance.

Carney argued that powerful states are weaponizing integration through tariffs, financial chokepoints, and fragile supply chains, leaving middle powers vulnerable if they cling to outdated ways of engagement. For Canada, he said, the moment is clear: the nation must deepen its economic resilience in energy, food, critical minerals, finance, and trade, and lean into diversified partnerships so it never again faces subordination to any single dominant actor.

Carney urged fellow countries to build new coalitions and institutions that reflect current realities. He warned that middle powers that negotiate alone risk negotiating from a position of weakness and reminded delegates that if Canada and its peers are not at the table, they will be “on the menu.”

Carney emphasized that geography and alliance alone no longer guarantee prosperity or security and that Canada’s history of principled pragmatism positions it well to help shape a future order that is fairer, more inclusive, and more just. He urged Ottawa to turn inward where needed to strengthen its own economy, while outward to diversify ties and work with like-minded states.

Carney’s address set the tone for a gathering wrestling with fragmentation, uncertainty, and renewed competition, but also opportunity. For Canada and its friends, the challenge is clear: build a new framework for cooperation or risk being swept aside by the geopolitics of power.