Prime Minister Mark Carney has issued a defiant message to the world, confirming that the international “old order” will never return. In a high-stakes address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney rejected nostalgia as a viable strategy, claiming that current global ruptures are the necessary foundation for building a “stronger and more just” society. The Prime Minister is positioning Canada to choose a path of radical honesty and strategic autonomy over a return to the crumbling status quo.
The announcement signals a massive shift in Canadian leadership as the country navigates an era of great power rivalry and economic coercion. By declaring that “nostalgia is not a strategy,” Carney is directly challenging the belief that global systems will return to their former stability. This aggressive new stance frames the current era of disruption as a permanent transformation, forcing middle powers like Canada to adapt or be left behind.
Carney’s “Davos Doctrine” suggests that when international rules no longer protect a nation, that nation must protect itself. As the Prime Minister pushes his vision of a “stronger” Canada through increased defense spending and new global partnerships, the country remains at a turning point. This statement marks a definitive moment in Carney’s tenure, prioritizing clear-eyed realism over the “pleasant fictions” of the past.
