Carney Urges Canada-EU Alliance to Counter Superpower Dominance Ahead of G7 Summit

On the eve of the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has reiterated his vision for a global shift away from a world order dominated by superpowers.

Carney delivered these remarks Saturday during the launch of the De Chastelain Public Lecture series at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, with his Irish counterpart, Micheal Martin, in attendance.

Carney argued that the world is currently at a critical juncture, urging “middle powers” to unite and leverage their collective strength. “Ireland and Canada are navigating a global rupture, not a quiet transition,” Carney stated.

He warned that the rules-based order established after the Cold War is collapsing, noting that multilateral institutions have weakened and that the economic integration which previously fostered growth is now being weaponized. He further asserted that the international trading system, a cornerstone of global stability for decades, is currently under threat.

While Carney’s remarks remained general and he avoided naming specific nations, his comments come during a period of significant tension between Canada and the United States.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term, the U.S. has increasingly pressured Canada to concede sovereignty. President Trump has utilized tariffs to compel Canada to align with U.S. priorities on immigration and trade, and has even suggested via social media on June 1 that Canada should become the “51st state.”

Both Carney and Trump are expected to attend the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17.

Carney’s call for greater collaboration has resonated with several G7 members, particularly within the European Union, which is seeking to reduce its reliance on the U.S. amid rising geopolitical friction. During his speech, Carney appealed directly to his European counterparts, emphasizing unity as the primary defense against the “go-it-alone” approach adopted by some superpowers.

“Canada, Ireland, and Europe are increasingly and more immediately vulnerable to once-distant threats,” Carney said. “I suggest that amidst this change—amidst this disruption—Canada, Ireland, and Europe can be pivotal, powerful and purposeful: a force for good.”

These remarks mirror a speech Carney delivered earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he first introduced his “middle powers” strategy. That address caused significant controversy by questioning the durability of traditional global alliances and criticizing the use of economic integration as a tool for coercion against smaller nations.

At the time, Carney suggested that “intermediate powers” could build a new order that would collectively wield as much influence as any single superpower. In response, Trump criticized Carney at Davos, citing Canada’s reliance on the U.S. economy and suggesting that Canada should show more gratitude for the benefits it receives from its southern neighbor.

Continuing these themes on Saturday, Carney compared the combined strength of a Canada-EU alliance to that of the world’s largest economies. “Together, we are powerful because we have the capacity to act together,” Carney said. “Combined, our population is more than twice that of the United States, and our collective defense budget is twice that of China’s.”

Since assuming the office of Prime Minister in 2025, Carney has worked to solidify these bonds. In May, he became the first non-European leader to join the European Political Community Summit, a forum dedicated to enhancing security and economic resilience across Europe. In February, he successfully secured Canada’s entry into the SAFE Instrument, a European loan program for critical military defense supplies—making Canada the first non-European participant in the initiative.

Carney also expressed a desire for the European Union to strengthen ties with the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would lower trade barriers for nearly a dozen Pacific Rim nations, including Canada. Carney explained that such an alliance would create a massive trading bloc of over 1.5 billion people.

“The nations that invest in their own capabilities and partner with like-minded allies will multiply their strength,” Carney said.

Citing shared challenges such as climate change and global conflict, he called on the EU and Canada to draw upon their common history and values. “We have developed a unique transatlantic worldview rooted in a simple but profound conviction: that we are stronger when we are connected, that our prosperity grows when it’s shared, and that we are the stewards of our lands.”

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