A Global Star

In January 2026, Mark Carney—now the Prime Minister of Canada—delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos that was hailed as a “watershed moment” for global diplomacy. It was met with a rare standing ovation from the international elite and wide praise for its “brutal honesty” regarding the collapse of the post-WWII international order.

The praise for his speech generally falls into four categories:

1. Courageous Realism

Carney was lauded for being the first major Western leader to “rip off the Band-Aid” and admit that the “rules-based international order” is effectively dead. * The “Greengrocer” Metaphor: He used a famous Václav Havel allegory about a greengrocer who puts a “Workers of the World Unite” sign in his window not because he believes it, but to avoid trouble. Carney argued that world leaders have been doing the same—invoking international rules they know are no longer being followed.

• “Nostalgia is not a Strategy”: Analysts praised his blunt rejection of the idea that the world can simply “wait out” current tensions and return to the old status quo.

2. Intellectual Leadership for “Middle Powers”

The speech was celebrated as a “manifesto” for countries that are not superpowers (like Canada, Australia, and European nations).

• “At the table or on the menu”: His warning that middle powers must band together or be consumed by great-power rivalry resonated deeply with leaders from Australia, Mexico, and the Nordic-Baltic Eight.

• The “Third Path”: He was praised for moving beyond mere criticism and offering a pragmatic strategy: building “variable geometry” coalitions—issue-by-issue alliances that prioritize shared resilience over blind reliance on a single hegemon.

3. Moral Earnestness and Clarity

Many attendees, including economist Adam Tooze and California Governor Gavin Newsom, praised the speech for its “moral weight.”

• Calling out the “Bully”: Without naming him directly, Carney was seen as standing up to the transactional and coercive diplomacy of the U.S. administration.

• Principled Pragmatism: He was lauded for balancing hard-nosed economic reality (cutting taxes and boosting defense) with a fierce defense of sovereignty and human rights.

4. Domestic and International Stature

• “Canada is Back”: International figures like NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that the speech re-established Canada as a “key player” and a “leader on the world stage.”

• A “Global Star” Moment: Even critics of his policies acknowledged that Carney had “planted a flag,” providing the direction and clarity that many other Western leaders had been too hesitant to articulate.

The Old World Order is not coming back