Cars stuck in a traffic jam on the Promenade street before the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday.
The World Economic Forum in Davos once again revolved around Donald Trump whose return to the global stage drew intense curiosity, spectacle and unease. His dramatic posturing over Greenland and threats of tariffs turned his appearance into the week’s main attraction. Although Trump softened his stance during his speech, ruling out force and backing away from tariff threats after talks with NATO leaders, he still dominated headlines. His unveiling of a “Board of Peace,” presented as a rival to the United Nations, reinforced his preference for grand gestures and personal diplomacy. Yet for all the attention Trump commanded, his presence did not ultimately define the mood of the forum.
That role fell instead to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In a widely praised speech, Carney confronted what many in Davos had hesitated to say openly: the rules-based international order no longer functions as advertised. He described a world shaped by intensifying great-power rivalry. Where economic integration now serves as coercion, and urged countries to stop clinging to comforting fictions and begin building new alliances to protect their interests. His call for collective action among middle powers resonated strongly, earning a rare standing ovation and acclaim from policymakers, scholars and business leaders alike.
A Search For a New Global Order
President Donald Trump speaks to the media in Davos on Wednesday. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
Carney’s remarks framed Trump’s actions not as isolated disruptions but as part of a broader rupture in the global system. Trump responded sharply, publicly warning Carney and later rescinding Canada’s invitation to his newly announced Board of Peace. Action that underscored the personal and political tensions at play. Many observers saw this exchange as emblematic of the new era: confrontational, unpredictable and driven by power rather than shared norms.
Beyond the personalities, Davos reflected a deeper reckoning. Economists, diplomats and humanitarian leaders converged on the idea that the world has entered a lasting new reality, not a temporary cycle. While this shift clouds prospects for cooperation on climate change, inequality and humanitarian crises, some participants found hope in Carney’s insistence that middle powers can still reclaim agency. The forum closed with a cautious sense that, amid fragmentation and rivalry, new coalitions and renewed clarity about global realities might yet offer a path forward.
Referencia
Tharoor, I. (2026d, January 23). Trump dominated Davos. But Canada’s Carney was the star. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/01/23/mark-carney-davos-trump-wef-speech/