Terry Glavin: Carney's Anti-Trump Alliance Claims Exaggerated in Global Media
The concept of "the world stage" often serves as a platform for theatrical performances, but it also functions as a global arena for wishful thinking. Here, heroes and villains are constructed, imaginary plot twists unfold, and entire scenes are invented that bear little resemblance to real-world events.
Media Sensation Without Substance
A striking example of this phenomenon emerged recently when headlines worldwide proclaimed "Carney constructs a mega anti-Trump trade alliance" before facts could be properly established. The story appeared as an exclusive in the European edition of Politico, typically a respectable digital news platform.
According to the initial Politico report, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was "spearheading discussions between the EU and a major Indo-Pacific trade bloc after calling on middle powers to join forces." This would have represented a dramatic development following Carney's celebrated January 20 speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he urged middle powers to find a path forward amid what he described as the United States' transformation under Donald Trump.
The narrative seemed to perfectly fulfill Carney's election campaign promise: "Canada is ready to take a leadership role in building a coalition of like-minded countries who share our values... if the United States no longer wants to lead, Canada will."
Reality Check: No New Alliance
However, the Politico story contained neither wish fulfillment nor actual news. In what amounted to a significant climb-down, Politico subsequently reported that Carney had merely offered to "broker a bridge" between the European Union and member states of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The publication claimed this would create a "new anti-Trump trade bloc" uniting 27 EU states with what it called the "fast-growing Indo-Pacific trade bloc," all supposedly thanks to Carney's leadership.
In reality, EU-CPTPP talks have been ongoing for several months already. The CPTPP, which Politico described as "fast-growing," has expanded by only one signatory—the United Kingdom, and only provisionally—since its establishment over a decade ago.
During a press conference in Montreal, Carney confirmed that Canada "can help broker a bridge" between the EU and CPTPP, which Politico interpreted as Canada "spearheading conversations."
Existing Agreements Undermine Narrative
Canada's position in these discussions is less revolutionary than initially portrayed. As a member of the CPTPP, and having concluded the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2017—which still awaits full EU ratification—Canada's role is more facilitative than pioneering.
Furthermore, several European countries already maintain free trade agreements with multiple CPTPP member states, making the supposed "mega alliance" somewhat anticlimactic upon closer examination.
Broader Implications for International Order Claims
The exaggerated Carney-built alliance story represents just one of several persistent narratives about Canada's newfound global prominence that fail to withstand scrutiny. This raises questions about Carney's assertion in Davos that the rules-based international order sustaining Canadian prosperity for eight decades has been shattered by what the Munich Security Conference recently termed the "wrecking ball" of Trump's sanctions-focused defiance of World Trade Organization rules.
While geopolitical tensions certainly exist, claims of the international order's complete collapse appear overstated, with media narratives sometimes outpacing actual diplomatic developments in their dramatic portrayals of global realignment.
