Canada is heading into this year's G7 summit with a clear-eyed message from Prime Minister Mark Carney: the world is reorganizing itself, and no single country — not even the United States — gets to write the rules alone.
Speaking on Sunday ahead of the gathering, Carney said the U.S. will play a central role in a new world order, but argued that the days of one nation or one institution holding all the answers are over.
A shift in the global balance
"No one country will characterize the new world order," Carney said, framing the coming decade as a period defined by shared influence rather than a single dominant power. It's a notable position from a prime minister who built his career inside the institutions — the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England — that have long underpinned the Western economic system.
The comments land at a moment of real uncertainty. Trade tensions, shifting alliances and questions about the reliability of long-standing partnerships have pushed middle powers like Canada to rethink how they protect their interests. Carney's argument is essentially that Canada should stop waiting for stability to return and instead help build whatever comes next.
Why the U.S. still matters
Carney was careful not to write off Washington. The United States remains Canada's largest trading partner and closest security ally, and the prime minister acknowledged it will be a defining force in any new arrangement. The distinction he drew was about exclusivity: American power is necessary but no longer sufficient to set the global agenda on its own.
That framing gives Canada room to manoeuvre. By insisting the new order will be shaped by many hands, Carney is positioning Ottawa to deepen ties with Europe, Asia-Pacific partners and other democracies without framing every move as a choice between loyalty to the U.S. and independence from it.
What's on the table at the G7
The G7 — Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, plus the European Union — remains one of the few forums where the world's advanced economies coordinate directly. Expect discussions to centre on trade frictions, economic security, support for Ukraine and the management of emerging technologies, including the race to set guardrails on artificial intelligence.
For Canada, the summit is also a stage. Carney, who came to office promising a steadier hand on the economy, has leaned into his credibility as a former central banker to argue Canada can punch above its weight in shaping international rules.
The takeaway for Canadians
Behind the diplomatic language is a practical reality: the decisions made at gatherings like the G7 ripple back into Canadian jobs, trade and prices. A world order built by consensus rather than dictated by one superpower could give Canada more leverage — but it also demands that Ottawa show up with a plan.
Carney's bet is that Canada is better off helping draw the new map than waiting to see where someone else puts the borders.
Source: CBC News — cbc.ca/news/politics
