Mark Carney has received acclaim for a speech in which he criticized the recent global political strategies of the United States and contemplated the future direction of the world.
Over the past year, Donald Trump and his administration, during his second term in the White House, have garnered significant attention. Known for his bold actions, the US leader has increasingly aggravated and alienated some of the nation’s closest allies.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently delivered a speech at the annual World Economic Forum that addressed the increasing tension between the US and its international partners. His speech was so impactful that it earned him a standing ovation.
While he did not directly name Trump, Carney discussed the US’ recent behavior concerning tariffs and the controversial demands related to the annexation of Greenland.
In his address, he stated: “Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.
“Over the past two decades, a series of crises in finance, health, energy and geopolitics have laid bare the risks of extreme global integration.
“But more recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons. Tariffs as leverage. Financial infrastructure as coercion. Supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.
“You cannot ‘live within the lie’ of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.
“The multilateral institutions on which middle powers have relied — the WTO, the UN, the COP — the very architecture of collective problem solving, are under threat.
“And as a result, many countries are drawing the same conclusions — that they must develop greater strategic autonomy: in energy, food, critical minerals, in finance and supply chains.”
Throughout his discourse, Carney acknowledged the imperfections and issues within international rules, while warning that current developments could steer the world into more perilous territory.
This speech *is* one for the history books. But that’s less a compliment, than a coda.
Carney has given us the words to mark the end of the ‘rules-based order’…by acknowledging it never really existed.
It was a collective illusion. That now is over. pic.twitter.com/H4gWysDBmH
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) January 20, 2026
He emphasized that although nationalism might seem attractive, its global rise could lead to a ‘world of fortresses’ that is ultimately ‘poorer, more fragile and less sustainable.’
Carney’s speech has been widely shared on social media, with many commending its content and noting the rarity of a standing ovation at such an event.
Carole Cadwalladr, a journalist, described the speech as ‘one for the history books.’
Alastair Campbell, a writer and political strategist, remarked: “Standing ovation for @MarkJCarney at Davos. (Those do not happen often). Brutally honest assessment of the situation Trump is creating for the world.”
Mike Bird of the Wall Street Journal urged people to read Carney’s speech in its entirety.