CANADA PERSPECTIVE

Ottawa arrives in Évian as the presidency hand-over and a champion of a 'new world order' of middle powers, while treading carefully around Trump. Prime Minister Mark Carney, passing the G7 presidency to France after holding it last year, believes 'the strands of a new world order could be woven' at this summit. Having become an international star in January at Davos by declaring the rules-based order over and calling on middle powers to unite against great powers, Carney pushes an inclusive reading of the summit: the Évian G7 will gather not just its seven members but also Kenya, Brazil, Egypt and India, partners who bring 'a broader perspective.' For him, the G7 thereby 'acknowledges it has no claim to lead the world.' This middle-power-mediator posture is quintessentially Canadian — defining oneself as a moral bridge rather than a power. But the Canadian press underlines the underlying tension: ahead of the USMCA trade review on July 1, Carney is expected to be 'more muted' in his criticism of Trump, his trade stakes requiring 'pragmatic diplomacy.' Canada thus embodies the dilemma of mid-sized allies: claiming a multipolar order and an independent voice while sparing the American neighbor on which its economy depends. Carney meets Macron at the Élysée beforehand to coordinate this strategy, in the wake of the global resonance of his Davos speech.