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Middle powers can build a new world order based on principled pragmatism

Sinanoglu, Semuhi
External Publications (2026)

published on table.media, 12.02.2026

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Applauded for its eloquence and timeliness, Carney’s speech at Davos may be bookmarked as a defining moment that marks the end of the liberal world order as we know it and signals a new global order looming on the horizon, with stronger emphasis on “value-based realism.” I disagree with pessimistic accounts that dismiss such a foreign policy, that is both principled and pragmatic, as a contradiction. My research shows that transparent communication of strategic interests may pay off in the Global South countries and increase trust in the West again. Also, accounts that underestimate the leading role middle powers can play in establishing a new global order are missing the mark. It was, after all, not just the US hegemony, but middle powers like Canada that helped build the liberal institutional order brick by brick.

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