DAVOS, Switzerland – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, warned of a growing “rupture” in the international order, drawing a parallel to the pre-1989 political landscape and citing the importance of belief in institutions. Carney’s speech, delivered as a special address, centered on the concept of legitimacy and the fragility of democratic structures when foundational beliefs erode.
The Prime Minister’s argument, as reported by Politico, hinged on a key insight from the late Václav Havel, the Czech playwright and dissident who became president after the Velvet Revolution. Carney posited that institutions are most vulnerable not when they are actively attacked, but when people cease to believe in the rituals and roles that give them legitimacy. This erosion of belief, he argued, precedes institutional collapse.
According to reporting in the Globe and Mail, Carney’s invocation of Havel’s function sparked debate regarding the nuances of Havel’s philosophy. While acknowledging the power of individual conviction, some observers questioned whether Carney fully captured the complexity of Havel’s thought, particularly concerning the role of civil society and the importance of “living in truth.”
Carney specifically identified the rise of “great powers” as a key driver of the current instability, suggesting that the existing international framework is struggling to adapt to a multipolar world. He called on global leaders to proactively address this “rupture” and reinforce the foundations of international cooperation. The World Economic Forum’s coverage of the speech highlighted Carney’s emphasis on the need for a renewed commitment to democratic principles.
The speech comes at a time of increasing geopolitical tension and growing skepticism towards international institutions. An opinion piece in NPR noted the historical echoes of Carney’s warning, drawing parallels to periods of significant global upheaval where faith in established norms and structures has waned. International IDEA, in an analysis of the Davos address, focused on the implications for promoting democracy, suggesting that Carney’s remarks underscored the importance of bolstering democratic resilience in the face of authoritarian challenges.
While Carney’s speech offered a diagnosis of the current crisis, it did not outline specific policy prescriptions. He urged a fundamental reassessment of how international cooperation is structured and maintained, but stopped short of proposing concrete solutions. As of Friday, no immediate follow-up meetings or initiatives have been announced by the Canadian government or the World Economic Forum in direct response to Carney’s address.