Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20, 2026, referencing a 1978 essay by Václav Havel, the Czech playwright and dissident who later became president of Czechoslovakia. Carney’s invocation of Havel’s “The Power of the Powerless” has sparked debate about the current state of the international order and the role of middle powers within it.
Havel’s essay, written while Czechoslovakia was under Soviet control, explored how seemingly totalitarian systems persisted not through overt force alone, but through the willing participation of individuals in rituals they privately disbelieved. He illustrated this through the example of a greengrocer who displays a sign proclaiming “Workers of the world, unite!” not out of conviction, but to avoid repercussions and maintain a semblance of normalcy. As Havel wrote, the sign served as an excuse, masking fear and self-preservation.
According to reports, Carney used this analogy to suggest that the existing “rules-based international order” is being sustained by a similar form of tacit compliance. He argued that nations are participating in structures and norms they no longer genuinely believe in, driven by a desire to avoid disruption or maintain short-term advantages. This participation, he implied, is ultimately eroding the legitimacy of those structures.
The speech, described as the “most consequential speech on global affairs ever given by a Canadian Prime Minister,” has been interpreted as a call for middle powers to reassess their approach to global politics and to challenge what Carney views as a decaying order. Observers noted that Carney did not explicitly detail what actions Canada would take, but rather framed the issue as a fundamental question of integrity and authenticity.
The reference to Havel resonated particularly strongly given the historical context of the essay’s creation. Circulated in secret within Czechoslovakia, “The Power of the Powerless” was a powerful articulation of resistance to totalitarianism. Its re-emergence at Davos, a gathering of global elites, has been seen by some as a deliberate provocation, challenging the assumptions and practices of those in power.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s remarks have prompted discussion about the implications for international cooperation and the potential for a realignment of global power dynamics. As of February 21, 2026, no formal response has been issued by major international organizations or governments regarding Carney’s speech, and no specific follow-up meetings have been publicly scheduled.
