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Mark Carney at Davos
For decades, Canada has been viewed as a well-respected middle power country on the lower rung of the middle power ladder. At times we have been considered less than serious.That changed on Tuesday.
When Prime Minister Carney took to the podium in Davos and stated his view of the new global reality, and how the world s economic and political situation has changed permanently, other countries listened. He simply told the truth, while other countries were hoping they could work around the instability from the rupture of the traditional world order.
With that speech, Canada has moved up several rungs on the middle power ladder.When Prime Minister Carney knocks on the door of another country to talk about a trade agreement, that door will open just a little bit faster. When Prime Minister Carney speaks at an international forum, people will certainly listen in anticipation of his straightforward and serious remarks.Canada has moved up the ladder.
Other countries, like Mexico, France, Australia, Denmark, and other NATO and European Union countries responded with comments like “stunning” and agreed that “nostalgia will not bring back the old world order.” As far as I can tell, every country that has passed judgment on Mr. Carney’s remarks has had positive comments, except one.
From the day Prime Minister Carney was elected, he has been traveling the world seeking new markets for Canadian products and services. I don’t know how he can keep up the pace. In any case, the next time he knocks on a foreign door, I believe he will get a much more positive response than he would have last week, all because of his accurate and honest assessment of what is really happening to our world order.
We previously had a system for how countries corresponded and negotiated with each other, but that has diminished into midnight tweets.
The previous system of international negotiations operated through an established order of diplomats and envoys who maintained back-channel communications with countries of shared interests. Information learned would be passed on to ministers and leaders, and negotiations would proceed carefully.
Now we have midnight tweets issued in a chaotic and asymmetrical fashion. The midnight-tweets process has collapsed the decision-making timeline into seconds, with no negotiations. I don’t believe this process is sustainable, but in the meantime, we must deal with it.
One result of this rupture is the beginning of a crystallization of the middle power countries into a coordinated group of rules-based and predictable governments.
One unofficial list of middle power countries includes Canada, Australia, South Korea, Mexico, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Japan, and New Zealand. There is no official list.
My point is that Prime Minister Carney impressed the world with his comments in Davos, and he also raised the profile of Canada. When Mr. Carney comes calling to talk about trade and other issues, the response will be much more welcoming. Canada will be taken as a serious country with a serious voice.
And Canada has risen few rungs up on the ladder.
When Prime Minister Carney took to the podium in Davos and stated his view of the new global reality, and how the world s economic and political situation has changed permanently, other countries listened. He simply told the truth, while other countries were hoping they could work around the instability from the rupture of the traditional world order.
With that speech, Canada has moved up several rungs on the middle power ladder.When Prime Minister Carney knocks on the door of another country to talk about a trade agreement, that door will open just a little bit faster. When Prime Minister Carney speaks at an international forum, people will certainly listen in anticipation of his straightforward and serious remarks.Canada has moved up the ladder.
Other countries, like Mexico, France, Australia, Denmark, and other NATO and European Union countries responded with comments like “stunning” and agreed that “nostalgia will not bring back the old world order.” As far as I can tell, every country that has passed judgment on Mr. Carney’s remarks has had positive comments, except one.
From the day Prime Minister Carney was elected, he has been traveling the world seeking new markets for Canadian products and services. I don’t know how he can keep up the pace. In any case, the next time he knocks on a foreign door, I believe he will get a much more positive response than he would have last week, all because of his accurate and honest assessment of what is really happening to our world order.
We previously had a system for how countries corresponded and negotiated with each other, but that has diminished into midnight tweets.
The previous system of international negotiations operated through an established order of diplomats and envoys who maintained back-channel communications with countries of shared interests. Information learned would be passed on to ministers and leaders, and negotiations would proceed carefully.
Now we have midnight tweets issued in a chaotic and asymmetrical fashion. The midnight-tweets process has collapsed the decision-making timeline into seconds, with no negotiations. I don’t believe this process is sustainable, but in the meantime, we must deal with it.
One result of this rupture is the beginning of a crystallization of the middle power countries into a coordinated group of rules-based and predictable governments.
One unofficial list of middle power countries includes Canada, Australia, South Korea, Mexico, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Japan, and New Zealand. There is no official list.
My point is that Prime Minister Carney impressed the world with his comments in Davos, and he also raised the profile of Canada. When Mr. Carney comes calling to talk about trade and other issues, the response will be much more welcoming. Canada will be taken as a serious country with a serious voice.
And Canada has risen few rungs up on the ladder.