Carney, von der Leyen take on Trump at Davos: What was common in their speeches, where they differed

von der Leyen, meanwhile, said, “…nostalgia is part of our human story. But nostalgia will not bring back the old order. And playing for time – and hoping for things to revert soon – will not fix the structural dependencies we have.”

The ‘old order’, where decisions were supposed to be made through institutions in which all countries had a voice and followed the same rulebook, had been less than ideal, as the Global South has long known, and which Carney also mentioned in his speech. But the EU and Canada had been major beneficiaries and upholders of the order, and their pulling the curtains on it has a message for the world.

Outreach to the world (minus US)

Both Carney and von der Leyen spoke about how they are reaching out to various countries for new or renewed alliances, and India found mention by both. Carney said, “…we are rapidly diversifying abroad. We have agreed a comprehensive strategic partnership with the EU… We have signed 12 other trade and security deals on four continents in six months…we’ve concluded new strategic partnerships with China and Qatar… To help solve global problems, we’re pursuing variable geometry, in other words, different coalitions for different issues based on common values and interests.”

The EU leader, mentioning the Mercosur deal, said, “That will not stop in Latin America… Last year, we reached new agreements with Mexico, Indonesia and Switzerland… We are also advancing with the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE… And right after Davos, I will travel to India… we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement. Some call it the mother of all deals.”

What Canada, EU have to offer

Both leaders spoke about what they have to offer to the world, in pursuit of these alliances and deals. Carney said, “Canada has what the world wants. We are an energy superpower. We hold vast reserves of critical minerals. We have the most educated population in the world… In other words, we have capital, talent… we also have a government with immense fiscal capacity… And we have the values to which many others aspire.”

von der Leyen said, “…Europe has all the assets it needs to attract investment – the savings, the skills, and the innovation…”

Greenland

On the issue currently hanging fire and ice over the Atlantic, both leaders opposed Trump’s actions over Greenland. Carney said, “On Arctic sovereignty, we stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark, and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland’s future…Canada strongly opposes tariffs over Greenland.”

von der Leyen spoke about Greenland longer, saying, “First principle: full solidarity with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark… Second, we are working on a massive European investment surge in Greenland…”

Where they differed

A key difference was that von der Leyen was more conciliatory towards Trump. Carney did not even mention the US President by name and made a hard-hitting speech about the rupture in the world order being “the end of a pleasant fiction and the beginning of a harsh reality.”

Carney only made one mention of the US, saying “American hegemony” in the old order had brought in several benefits. The EU leader mentioned Trump, stating that the EU would like to work with him. “We all want peace for Ukraine. We recognise President Trump’s role in pushing the peace process forward…,” she said, adding, at different points in her speech, that “…we will work with the US and all partners on wider Arctic security”, and “When it comes to the security of the Arctic region… we share the objectives of the United States…”

Carney’s election victory last year, when the conservatives in Canada were widely seen as on a sure path to power, came after Trump alienated a lot of Canadians with his talk of making Canada “the 51st state of the US”.