Canada’s Mark Carney Calls “Rules-Based International Order” a Lie at Davos

Davos 2026: Mark Carney Declares “Rules-Based Order Is a Lie,” Macron Slams US Aggression

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a blunt assessment of the global order, declaring that the era of American-led rules-based governance has ended.

“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney said. “The old order is not coming back.” Without directly naming the United States or President Donald Trump, he warned that economic integration is increasingly being weaponized by major powers — with tariffs, financial systems, and supply chains used as instruments of leverage and coercion.

Carney urged Canada to adopt a “principled and pragmatic” strategy: strengthen domestic capabilities, diversify trade, and build coalitions with like-minded nations. “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu,” he said, stressing that reliance on a single partner is no longer safe. While cautioning against a world of isolated “fortresses,” he concluded that middle powers can use the current fractures to build “something better, stronger, and more just.”

Europe Pushes Back

French President Emmanuel Macron also criticized US actions at Davos, framing them as a form of “new colonialism.” Macron condemned Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on nations opposing a US attempt to acquire Greenland, calling such tactics “fundamentally unacceptable.”

“We prefer respect to bullies, and the rule of law to brutality,” Macron said. He warned that attempts to subordinate Europe through trade and territorial pressure undermine global stability and multilateral cooperation.

The tensions come as President Trump is expected to address the forum, following weeks of escalating rhetoric about Greenland and other territorial ambitions.