Carney's EU speech draws focus after Trump calls Canada-EU move hostile
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to address the European Parliament on Thursday, with the speech drawing added attention after US President Donald Trump suggested that allowing Canada to become an associate member of the European Union could be a "hostile act". The speech will be watched for signs of whether Carney repeats the warning he gave in Davos in January, when he said major powers can use economic dependence to pressure smaller countries.
The backdrop to Carney's address is a major proposal from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who on Wednesday suggested making Canada the EU's first associate member. The offer comes as Trump's tariffs, demands for economic concessions and repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st state push Ottawa towards deeper economic, security and political ties with Europe.
Speaking in Charlotte, North Carolina, Trump said he could respond to the proposed move by imposing more tariffs on the EU. He tied that threat to the "intention" of European leaders, saying, "If it's a good intention, that's fine. If it's a bad intention, we'll put very heavy tariffs on Europe." He also suggested the US could cut off trade with Europe in some areas. Trump described the idea of Canada joining the EU as "laughable" and called Canada a "terrible trade partner".
For decades, Canada built its economy around close integration with the United States. But Canada now sends roughly 70 per cent of its exports to the US, leaving it highly exposed to Trump's tariffs. Ottawa has hit back and rejected demands that Carney says threaten Canadian sovereignty, while Europe has chosen a different route by shelving retaliation and accepting tariffs of up to 15 per cent on most EU exports to the US.
Von der Leyen said the EU wanted to take its relationship with Canada to "the highest level possible". Her proposal would create a new status that does not currently exist in EU treaties. She also said Canada and the EU should go beyond their existing free trade agreement and build an "Alliance for the Future" based on a "common prosperity and economic security space". Carney, seated in the front row in the European Parliament chamber, nodded and then rose to embrace von der Leyen as lawmakers gave the proposal a standing ovation.
Carney will host EU leaders at a Canada-EU summit in Montreal on October 29 and 30, where the proposed new relationship is expected to be discussed further. Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's ambassador-designate to the EU, said Canada is not seeking full EU membership because that would mean giving up some sovereignty. Instead, he said Ottawa wants "to get as close as we possibly can" to Europe while increasing Canada's independence. What associate membership would mean in practice is yet to be negotiated.
Carney has repeatedly argued that middle powers should resist economic coercion. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, he said that when countries negotiate one by one with a dominant power, "we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered." Trump criticised him the next day, and Thursday's speech could add to the strain in ties. Canada has already moved closer to Europe this year by becoming the first non-European country to join the EU's 150-billion-euro SAFE defence procurement programme, giving Canadian companies access to joint procurement as Europe raises defence spending. The two sides have also discussed closer work on energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade.
Analysts said Washington would be closely watching Carney's remarks. Daniel Beland of McGill University said, "The policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration are clearly pushing both Canada and the EU to imagine a world without strong US leadership and to act accordingly," while Nelson Wiseman of the University of Toronto said, "Carney's shrewdness in dealing with Trump has captured Europe's attention." Beland also said Carney may avoid naming Trump directly while making his target clear, adding, "He knows that, beyond Europe, the world will be watching, including the White House." As Carney prepares to speak in Strasbourg, Canada and the EU appear to be exploring a closer partnership as tensions with Washington grow.
