The European Union wants Canada to be its first associated state. The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has offered this to the country’s Prime Minister. Live and in person, as Mark Carney has traveled to Strasbourg to be present at the speech on the state of the EU that took place today and also to give his own tomorrow.
“Dear Mark, I have said that we urgently need to rethink our partnerships. That is why I would like to work with you to open the door for Canada to become the first associated member of the European Union. We share an ocean, the same values, and the same way of seeing the world. And now we will also build our common future. Thank you for being here,” Von der Leyen said.
The offer from the senior German official is undoubtedly very important. Historic. But it also comes at a key moment since relations between Canada and the United States are not at their best, precisely. Carney is completely at odds with the US president, Donald Trump, over, among other things, tariff threats from his southern neighbor.
The Canadian Prime Minister does not like the bully ways of the magnate. Moreover, in Ottawa they still have not forgotten when Trump boasted about the possibility of Canada becoming the 51st state of the US. But right now it seems more likely that, in reality, it will become a sort of 28th state of the European Union.
“We see the world the same way: from artificial intelligence to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics. And we have remained united: in Ukraine, in defense, in raw materials, and in supply chains,” Von der Leyen said.
“But above all, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy. We believe that power does not belong to the strongest, the richest, or those who shout the loudest, but to all of us. That democracies have the freedom to choose who they want to work with,” she emphasized.
And Von der Leyen also wanted to emphasize that the partnership between Canada and the European Union “is not against anyone, but seeks to strengthen our common strength.” But it certainly is or, at least, certainly tries to protect itself from Trump, the adversary who has changed all global balances.
The President of the Commission has not specified what benefits Canada would have by becoming that first associated member. But greater economic integration seems possible; also more intense collaboration in Defense; easier mobility of people; and even a common project in the Arctic. And another very relevant aspect is that if this path is opened, other countries might be interested in taking a similar step. Australia, for example.
European Security Council
Another relevant aspect of the speech is the proposal of a European Security Council that precisely includes Canada, as well as the United Kingdom, Norway, and Ukraine.
“Europe needs its own response protocol to hybrid threats. We urgently need to reach a consensus on how to respond to certain incidents: those that do not amount to armed aggression but clearly threaten our national security. In other words, a mechanism that complements NATO’s ‘Article 4’,” she explained. “When a Member State activates it, all Member States would meet to coordinate a European response, deter further escalation, and mitigate its effects,” she added.
