Carney: ‘The International Order Will Be Rebuilt — But It Will Be Rebuilt Out of Europe’
OTTAWA — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has declared that the post-World War II international order is in its final stages and that its replacement will be built not in Washington or Beijing, but in Europe.
In remarks made at a conference in Ottawa, Carney offered a sweeping assessment of the shifting geopolitical landscape, arguing that Europe is poised to lead the construction of a new global framework as the United States retreats from its traditional leadership role under President Donald Trump.
“It’s my strong personal view that the international order will be rebuilt — but it will be rebuilt out of Europe.” — Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
📉 The End of the ‘American Century’
Carney, a former central banker who became prime minister following Justin Trudeau’s resignation, has positioned himself as a transatlanticist who believes Canada’s future lies with Europe, not just with the United States.
The prime minister’s comments reflect a growing sentiment in Ottawa that Washington can no longer be relied upon to uphold the rules-based international order — a system the U.S. helped create after 1945. Under Trump, the U.S. has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), the Paris climate accord, and the World Health Organization, and has threatened to leave NATO.
Carney’s “rebuilt out of Europe” is an implicit rejection of China’s model as well. He is not suggesting that Europe will dominate the world, but that the institutions of the future — trade, climate, security, tech standards — will be shaped by European values and norms, not by American or Chinese dictates.
🤝 ‘Canada Is a European Power’?
Carney’s remarks about Europe are not new; his government has actively sought to deepen trade and defense ties with the EU.
Canada has:
- Accelerated ratification of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
- Joined the European Intervention Initiative (EI2), a French-led rapid-reaction military force
- Proposed a joint “critical minerals partnership” with Germany and France to reduce dependence on China
Carney has even toyed with the slogan “Canada is a European power,” which irritates U.S. officials who view Canada as part of the “Americas.”
🛡️ The ‘Trump Factor’ as Catalytic
The immediate catalyst for Carney’s statement is the Trump administration’s withdrawal from global agreements and its open hostility to multilateralism. Ottawa has been particularly stung by Trump’s refusal to exempt Canada from steel and aluminum tariffs, even after renegotiating NAFTA (now USMCA).
Carney is positioning Canada as a “bridge” between a still-powerful U.S. and a resurgent Europe — a role that plays to Canadian diplomatic strengths. However, critics argue that, for all his rhetoric, the EU is not ready to replace the U.S. security guarantee. Germany spends less than 2% of GDP on defense, and France’s nuclear umbrella is not extended to the rest of Europe.
If the U.S. withdraws from NATO, Europe would need years to build the capacity to defend itself. The notion that Europe can “rebuild” the international order anytime soon is aspirational at best.
Yet Carney’s comment has succeeded in one regard: it has forced Canadians to think about their place in a world where the United States may no longer be the leader of the Free World. And for the prime minister, that may be the point.
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