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France, Canada Urge Middle Powers to Unite Against Great Power Threats

French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have called for solidarity among middle powers to counter the destabilizing actions of great powers. They issued this warning at the World Economic Forum in Davos, referencing US tariff threats and China's trade practices. The leaders described a rupture in the global order, with the US using economic pressure, notably over Greenland, and China posing industrial threats. They emphasized cooperation and adherence to international rules as the necessary response to this geopolitical shift.

Key Points: Middle Powers Must Unite Against Great Powers, Say Leaders

  • Call for middle power unity
  • Warning of broken world order
  • US tariff threats as pressure tool
  • China's trade practices as a threat
  • Defense of sovereignty and rules
3 min read

France, Canada call for solidarity among middle powers to counter great powers' threat

At Davos, Macron and Carney warn of a breaking world order and call for solidarity among middle powers to counter pressures from the US and China.

"The middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you're on the menu - Mark Carney"

New York, Jan 21

In reactions to US President Donald Trump's move to acquire Greenland and his renewed interest in annexing Canada, leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos have called for unity among the middle powers to resist pressures from the great powers.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the answer to the "instability and imbalances" facing the world is to build "bridges and more cooperation with the emerging countries, the BRICs and the G20, because the fragmentation of this world will not make sense".

India is a member of BRICS and the G20.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said, "The middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you're on the menu".

Unlike them, the "great powers can afford now to go it alone", he said.

With a touch of fatalism, he added that there was a "breaking of the world order, the end of a pleasant fiction and the beginning of a brutal reality where the geopolitics of the great powers is not subject to any constraint".

Without naming Trump or the US, he said, "Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition".

Trump has threatened to impose next month a 10 per cent tariff on France and seven other countries backing Denmark against his demand to annex its territory of Greenland.

The tariff was to escalate to 25 per cent in June.

He said that he wants to buy Greenland and has not ruled out military action to capture it.

European Union President Ursula Von der Leyen warned that Trump's action would be "plunging us into a dangerous downward spiral [that] would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape".

US officials attempted at Davos to give reassurances to Europeans.

Speaking to reporters, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for calm and said the latest tariff threats could be compared to the massive tariffs Trump announced in April that set the stage for negotiations.

Trade Representative Jamieson Greer suggested in his speech at the Forum that the tariff threat was a negotiation ploy, but added that Trump is "very clear on what he expects on that front".

Macron said the US openly aims "to weaken and subordinate Europe" through tariffs, and "the rules-based order is fading".

But he also spoke of the threat from China, whose "massive excess capacities and distortive practices threaten to overwhelm entire industrial and commercial sectors".

"Trade wars, protectionist escalation, races towards overproduction will only produce losers", he said.

He also mentioned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The answer to these threats is "more cooperation", he said.

About the Trump threat to Greenland, he said, "France and Europe are attached to national sovereignty and independence, to the United Nations and to its charter".

Invoking the experiences of the Second World War, where the US and France were on the same side, he said there was a need for cooperation and "we have decided to join a mutual exercise in Greenland without threatening anyone, but just supporting an ally and another European country, Denmark".

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The Canadian PM's line "if you are not at the table, you're on the menu" is chillingly accurate. It highlights why forums like the G20 are so important for countries like India. We must have a strong, independent voice in global affairs.
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Priya S
While I agree with the need for middle power solidarity, I respectfully think India's approach should be balanced. We have important relationships with both the US and Europe. We can't afford to alienate either. Our foreign policy has always been about strategic autonomy.
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Vikram M
The world order is indeed changing. For India, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. We need to focus on becoming a $5 trillion economy first. A strong economy is the best defense against external pressures. Jai Hind!
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Michael C
Interesting to see this from an Indian lens. The threat of annexation talk is alarming. It shows how fragile international norms can be. India, with its size and democratic values, must be a key player in upholding a rules-based order.
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Rohit P
China's mention is key. Their trade practices are a real concern for our manufacturing sector. We should work with like-minded middle powers to create fair trade rules. At the same time, we must be wary of getting into any bloc that is openly anti-US.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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