This one could be bigger than it looks. Jim Flaherty, Canada's Finance Minister, has just published an op-ed in the Daily Telegraph where he directly targets European governments. Title: The eurozone should sort out its own mess.
He bluntly criticizes their excessive weight in IMF decisions, and the special treatment they get as a result, which he frames primarily as a question of fairness: "We cannot avoid the question of fairness. Eurozone members benefit from increased exports and price stability. Spreading the risks of the eurozone around the world, while its benefits accrue primarily to its members, is not the way to resolve this crisis. We cannot expect non-European countries, whose citizens in many cases have a much lower standard of living, to save the eurozone."
There may be consequences for Canada in Europe--beginning with the Free Trade agreement currently in negotiation-- but Flaherty's feistiness also opens up interesting possibilities for new alliances in global governance circles, because he explicitly links Europe's excessive weight with the need to give more power to emerging countries: "Emerging markets play an increasingly important role in global economic issues. Canada has been a leader in recognising changing international dynamics and advocating greater representation of emerging markets at the IMF. In this context, we believe that measures should be taken to ensure that major decisions about resources dedicated to Europe require more than a simple majority.” With Stephen Harper telling his caucus, at roughly the same time, that Canada should align with the economic winners, you almost have the basic tenets of a major reorientation of the country's foreign policy.
At the forthcoming G20, next June in Los Cabos, Mexico will be inviting two of Canada's closest partners in the Americas, Chile and Colombia. The current flare over the IMF will certainly be on the minds of the European governments present. A little push from them, and more pull from Mexico and Latin friends and suddenly, the whole emphasis of this government towards Asia and Latin America could start to have concrete diplomatic implications.
A turning point?
Photo Jonathan Blair
