“Canada and Europe are not bound by geographical ties, they are bound by an elective affinity, a renewed choice and, precisely for this reason, even stronger. Canada and Europe together are stronger.” This was said by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaking at the Plenary of the European Parliament the day after the announcement by President von der Leyen that Ottawa will become an associate member of the EU, triggering a reaction from US President Donald Trump who threatened new, strong tariffs.
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“An alliance is a positive process. I say this also addressing the US president. A stronger, more resilient Canada is a more effective partner also for the US, and the same goes for the EU,” Carney continued, emphasizing how the partnership process “will strengthen Canada’s sovereignty. Canadians are already united. No one imposes their language on them, or imposes restrictions on culture or partnerships.”
“I am not proposing a third bloc – he continued – with the aim of becoming a great rival power – just in more polite ways. We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we pursue resilience so that no one can control our open markets, our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, our democracies. These motivations, combined with our strong latent power, allow us to contribute to creating the next just, stable, and prosperous world order. A Canada-EU alliance would be a beacon for other democracies.”
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“Canada appreciates the ambition” to be the first associate member of the EU and surveys show that the majority of Canadians would be in favor of deeper ties. An alliance for the future is an approach. Canada and the EU should ensure our strategic independence with very close cooperation in every sector. We must deepen the ties between our peoples, we must move towards digital trade between us. Canada’s membership in Erasmus Plus would give our and your students great opportunities. Being part of the next generation of Horizon would allow us to cooperate on advanced technologies and to have our research institutes cooperate,” Carney said.
Before his speech, the European Parliament welcomed the Canadian Prime Minister like a star. Upon his entrance – introduced by President Roberta Metsola – many applauded while others approached the Prime Minister to shake his hand or ask for a selfie. Among the first to greet him were the President of the Socialists Iratxe Garcia Perez and the co-president of the Greens group Terry Reintke. The latter, on this occasion, wore the sweatshirt of the Canadian hockey team, with the number nine of Simon Crosby, the star of one of the most beloved sports in the North American country, on her shoulders.
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