Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for closer ties between Canada and Europe to protect their markets, democracies and the rule of law in a world increasingly dominated by the United States and China.
Carney made the call on Thursday in an address to the European Parliament, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened trade action over a proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to give Canada “associate member” status in the European Union.
The Canadian prime minister did not adopt the term “associate member” but said he welcomed the ambition behind von der Leyen’s proposal.
“Europe and Canada are each strong. Europe and Canada are even stronger together,” Carney told lawmakers in Strasbourg.
He said Canada and Europe were not seeking to create a “third bloc” or become a rival to Washington and Beijing.
“We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience, so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law,” Carney said.
Speaking to reporters after the address, Carney said it would be up to the EU to decide how any future relationship with Canada should be described, adding that the substance of an agreement would be more important than its name.
Trump Threatens EU
Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose tariffs or restrict trade with Europe if the EU proceeded with von der Leyen’s proposal.
“If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina, describing the proposal as “laughable”.
He said the United States would impose “very heavy tariffs” if it considered the move to be motivated by bad intentions.
The European Commission said the proposal was not hostile and was aimed at strengthening cooperation with Canada. However, the plan has yet to be fully developed and would require approval from EU member states.
Olof Gill, a European Commission spokesperson, said the proposed closer partnership with Canada was “not against anyone else, but for our common strength”.
Carney said Canada wanted closer cooperation with Europe in areas including critical minerals, defence industrial capacity, artificial intelligence and computing, energy security, space and payments.
He also highlighted digital trade and efforts to develop more secure broadband connections between Europe and Asia.
France Rejects US Veto
France’s Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad said the United States had no authority to determine the EU’s geopolitical direction.
“It is not up to the United States or anyone else to choose the political and geopolitical direction of the Europeans,” Haddad told Public Senat TV.
Von der Leyen proposed the new status for Canada on Wednesday during her annual State of the Union address, which Carney attended, as she called for stronger ties among allies in what she described as “an openly hostile world”.
It remains unclear whether EU member states will support the proposal.
One EU diplomat expressed surprise when the idea was announced, saying its meaning was unclear and raising concerns that the European Commission president might be promising more than she could deliver.
Another European diplomat on Thursday described it as an “unfortunate proposal” that had never been discussed with member states.
