VALUE-BASED REALISM

Le discours de Mark CARNEY, Premier ministre canadien, au World Economic Forum de Davos,  le 20 janvier 2026, intitulé "Principled and pragmatic: Canada’s path", inaugure une ère nouvelle en géopolitique, plus juste, plus sûre, au moment où jamais une 3ème guerre mondiale n'a semblé si proche. 

VALUE-BASED REALISM

Now, Canada was amongst the first to hear the wake-up call, leading us to fundamentally shift our strategic posture. Canadians know that our old, comfortable assumptions that our geography and alliance memberships automatically conferred prosperity and security — that assumption is no longer valid. And our new approach rests on what Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, has termed value-based realism. 

Or, to put it another way, we aim to be both principled and pragmatic. Principled in our commitment to fundamental values, sovereignty, territorial integrity, the prohibition of the use of force except when consistent with the UN Charter, and respect for human rights. And pragmatic in recognizing that progress is often incremental, that interests diverge, that not every partner will share all of our values. 

So we're engaging broadly, strategically, with open eyes. We actively take on the world as it is, not wait around for a world we wish to be. We are calibrating our relationships so their depth reflects our values. And we're prioritizing broad engagement to maximize our influence, and given the fluidity of the world at the moment, the risks that this poses, and the stakes for what comes next. And we are no longer just relying on the strength of our values, but also the value of our strength. 

EMERGENCE OF THE MIDDLE POWERS

So Canada — Canada has what the world wants. We are an energy superpower. We hold vast reserves of critical minerals. We have one of the most educated populations in the world. We also have a government with immense fiscal capacity to act decisively. And we have the values to which many others aspire. We have a recognition of what’s happening and a determination to act accordingly. We understand that this rupture calls for more than adaptation. It calls for honesty about the world as it is. We are taking the sign out of the window. We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy, but we believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just. This is the task of the middle powers, the countries that have the most to lose from a world of fortresses and most to gain from genuine cooperation. 

The powerful have their power. But we have something too — the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home and to act together. That is Canada’s path. We choose it openly and confidently, and it is a path wide open to any country willing to take it with us.