Havel called this “living within a lie.” The system’s power comes not from its truth but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source: when even one person stops performing — when the greengrocer removes his sign — the illusion begins to crack.
(…)You cannot “live within the lie” of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination. (…)
And the question for middle powers, like Canada, is not whether to adapt to the new reality — we must. The question is whether we adapt by simply building higher walls or whether we can do something more ambitious.
Canadians know that our old, comfortable assumptions — that our geography and alliance memberships automatically conferred prosperity and security — that assumption is no longer valid.
(…)Middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.
(…)In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: compete with each other for favour or to combine to create a third path with impact.
We shouldn’t allow the rise of hard power to blind us to the fact that the power of legitimacy, integrity and rules will remain strong — if we choose to wield them together.
(…)The powerful have their power. But we have something too — the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home and to act together. (…)
(full transcription, YouTube video)
Go read the entire speech, every single line is worth it. It is great.
It is exactly what needed to hear. What I wanted to hear from our leaders. Yes, I know, I’m not Canadian but right now, I would not mind if I was granted the privilege of becoming one, quite the contrary.
I will not lie, I would have loved for this speech to comme from one of our own European leaders, even more to be from my own French president Emmanuel Macron. Recently, I was amready deeply impressed by Canada annoucement of a few key partnerships with China, that was such a smart answer to that other neightbor country bullying them (and us too), I was wishing for the EU to wake up and realize that kind of pragmatism was probably the only way forward, not because we suddenly agree with China’s regime, we don’t, but because everythign else, including that country that once was our main ally is changing, turning itself into a proud bully.
I would have loved for this speech to be European but it being Canadian doesn’t make it less valuable or less precious.
Thank you. Thank you very much, mr Carney. Merci, mille fois. If I may ask would you agree for the EU to join Canada? Asking for a bunch of very shy friends.
Published: 2026 Jan 21