Mark Carney says 'Nostalgia is not a strategy' as global norms weaken

At Davos, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney warned that the post‑war rules‑based international order is eroding and urged middle powers to form flexible, issue‑based coalitions; he said 'compliance will not buy safety.'

Mark Carney delivered a Davos speech in which he said the old rules‑based international order is not returning and that "nostalgia is not a strategy." He warned that compliance with past norms will not guarantee safety and said economic integration is increasingly being used as leverage. Carney urged middle powers to act together through flexible, issue‑by‑issue coalitions he described as "variable geometry." The address was met with a standing ovation. Key points: - Mark Carney said the post‑war rules‑based order is eroding and warned that "compliance will not buy safety." - He reported that major powers have begun using economic ties — tariffs, financial infrastructure, and supply chains — as instruments of coercion. - Carney proposed "variable geometry" coalitions for middle powers and said his government would pursue broader trade links with Asian and European nations. Summary: Carney framed the speech as a call for practical, collective responses by middle powers to a changing global environment and highlighted concerns about departures from established norms by major states. Undetermined at this time.