Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called for a unified front from “middle powers” to counter economic coercion from larger nations, asserting the current global order is characterized by intensifying rivalry. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, Carney argued that economic integration is increasingly being weaponized by powerful countries.
Carney Criticizes Economic Weaponization
“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney stated. He accused great powers of utilizing economic integration as a tool for subordination, employing tariffs as leverage and supply chains as vulnerabilities.
Carney warned against the illusion of mutual benefit through integration, stating, “You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration, when integration becomes the source of your subordination.” He emphasized that smaller nations must collaborate to gain leverage, rather than negotiating bilaterally from a position of weakness.
“When we only negotiate bilaterally with a hegemon, we negotiate from weakness. We accept what’s offered. We compete with each other to be the most accommodating,” Carney said. “This is not sovereignty. It’s the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination.”
Call for Collective Action
Carney urged nations to move beyond rhetoric and acknowledge the reality of great power competition, stating, “Stop invoking rules-based international order as though it still functions as advertised. Call it what it is — a system of intensifying great power rivalry, where the most powerful pursue their interests, using economic integration as coercion.”
He proposed a path forward centered on shared values, specifically supporting Ukraine, NATO, and the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland. Carney concluded by inviting other countries to join Canada in pursuing this strategy, asserting, “The powerful have their power. But we have something too — the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home and to act together.”
His speech was met with a standing ovation.
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