Carney suggests a shift in Canada's foreign policy direction

At Davos, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the old rules-based international order is effectively over and urged like-minded middle powers to work together rather than negotiate bilaterally with dominant states; political figures and former diplomats offered differing views on whether this marks an immediate policy shift.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the old rules-based international order is over and not returning. He described that order as partly illusory because stronger states sometimes exempt themselves and use economic integration as leverage. Carney proposed that middle powers cooperate on shared priorities rather than rely only on bilateral negotiations with dominant countries. Key points: - Carney said the rules-based international order has fractured and is not coming back, and he described uneven enforcement and use of economic ties as weapons. - He argued bilateral negotiation with hegoms leaves middle powers negotiating from weakness and proposed issue-by-issue cooperation among like-minded countries. - Commentators and former officials differed in their reactions: some called the speech highly consequential for Canada’s foreign policy framing, while others said it was unclear whether it signals an immediate policy change and noted possible diplomatic or economic consequences. Summary: Carney framed the global order as changed and outlined a strategy for middle powers to coordinate differently, which has prompted debate among diplomats and analysts about Canada’s direction. Undetermined at this time.