It's not every day that the person running the country from Parliament Hill gets called one of the most powerful people on Earth, but that's exactly the claim making the rounds this week.
According to a post from @shottawa.tv, NYU professor and media commentator Scott Galloway argued that Prime Minister Mark Carney could "potentially emerge as the second most powerful person in the world" as Canada strengthens its relationship with Europe. For Ottawa residents who watch federal politics play out in their own backyard, that's a striking prediction to sit with.
Galloway's argument, as summarized in the post, centres on a shifting global order. As traditional U.S. influence with longtime allies weakens, Galloway suggests there's an opening for Canada, and by extension Carney, to step into a much bigger international role. It's a theory that leans heavily on timing: Canada and the European Union are currently pursuing deeper cooperation across trade, defence, energy, critical minerals, and AI. The EU has reportedly gone so far as to propose an unprecedented "associate member" relationship with Canada, a status that would be unusual for a non-European country.
This isn't the first time Galloway has praised Carney's growing profile overseas. He's previously credited the prime minister with giving voice to concerns that European leaders themselves share, positioning Carney less as a junior partner to Washington and more as a bridge between North America and Europe.
For Ottawa, the significance goes beyond bragging rights. As the nation's capital, Ottawa is where these international relationships actually get negotiated, staffed, and announced, from Global Affairs Canada offices downtown to the diplomatic corps stationed across the city. If Canada really is angling for a larger seat at the table in Brussels and beyond, much of that groundwork will trace back to decisions made right here.
Whether Galloway's "second most powerful person in the world" framing holds up is, of course, a matter of debate, and a bold one at that. But the underlying trend he's pointing to, closer Canada-EU cooperation on everything from critical minerals to AI policy, is very real and worth watching for anyone following how Ottawa's role on the world stage might be shifting.
What do you think? Is Carney positioned to become a major global power broker, or is this more hot take than forecast?
Source: @shottawa.tv on Instagram
