Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said the old world order is "not coming back". Invoking Vaclav Havel, he said it was time to stop pretending that what the western powers called a rules-based order was not a self-serving sham. “We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false. “And the question for middle powers, like Canada, is not whether to adapt to the new reality – we must. But that engagement could be more successful and on more equal terms if middle powers come together to give themselves greater leverage.

Source: The Irish Times January 21, 2026 11:28 UTC