Chrétien and the World

Conventional wisdom holds that foreign policy was not a priority for Jean Chrétien over his ten years as Canadian prime minister. Chrétien and the World combines the perspectives of key players of the time with analyses by leading scholars to reveal something unexpected: an often ambitious, activist approach to international affairs.

Contributors draw on personal recollections, interviews, and research to portray a coherent and engaged foreign policy. Chrétien responded to events that reshaped the international landscape, notably 9/11, the war on terror, the US-led invasion of Iraq, and Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. Working with trusted ministers, he emphasized trade liberalization, strong bilateral and multilateral relations, human security, and humanitarian intervention. Often characterized as purely pragmatic, Chrétien’s tenure in fact marked a high point of liberal internationalism.

This insightful collection demonstrates how Canada navigated crucial years between the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a new geopolitical reality.