Carney to address EU Parliament after Trump scorns ‘associate membership’ plan

Associated Press Reporters

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the European Parliament on Thursday after US President Donald Trump suggested that allowing Canada to become an associate EU member could be a “hostile act.”

Mr Trump’s comments raised the stakes for Mr Carney’s speech, which will be watched for signs the prime minister may deliver another broadside like his Davos address in January, when he warned that great powers like the United States could use economic dependence to bully smaller ones.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU’s first associate member on Wednesday, a striking overture as Mr Trump’s threats drive Ottawa closer to Europe.

Mr Trump threatened to respond to the proposed move by imposing more tariffs on the bloc.

He conditioned his latest threat on the “intention” of European leaders, saying that “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 certain areas.

Mr Trump said the prospect of Canada joining the EU was “laughable” and called America’s neighbour a “terrible trade partner.”

For generations, Canada built its economy around integration with the United States.

Mr Trump’s tariffs, demands for economic concessions and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state are now driving Ottawa to reduce that dependence and seek a deeper economic, security and political relationship across the Atlantic.

Ms von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU’s first associate member – a status that does not currently exist in the bloc’s treaties and would have to be created.

She said Europe wants to take its relationship with Canada to “the highest level possible”.

Mr Carney, sitting in the front row of the European Parliament chamber, nodded and rose to embrace Ms von der Leyen as MEPs gave the proposal a standing ovation.

This time, Europe is offering Canada another path.

Ms von der Leyen said Canada and the EU should move beyond their existing free trade agreement and create an “Alliance for the Future” encompassing a “common prosperity and economic security space”.

Mr Carney will host EU leaders for a Canada-EU summit in Montreal on October 29-30, where the two sides are expected to discuss the proposed new relationship in more detail.

Canada sends roughly 70% of its exports to the United States, making it highly exposed to Mr Trump’s tariffs.

Ottawa has retaliated and rejected demands that Carney says threaten Canadian sovereignty.

Europe took a different path, shelving retaliation and accepting tariffs of up to 15% on most EU exports to the U.S.

Mr Carney has repeatedly urged middle powers to resist that kind of economic coercion.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, he warned that when countries negotiate alone with a dominant power, “we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered”.

Mr Trump rebuked him the next day, and Thursday’s speech could further strain the relationship.

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s ambassador-designate to the EU, said on Wednesday that Canada was not seeking full EU membership because that would require surrendering some sovereignty.

Instead, Ottawa wants “to get as close as we possibly can” to Europe while increasing Canada’s independence.

Exactly what associate membership would mean remains to be negotiated.

Canada has already taken a major step toward European integration.

This year it became the first non-European country to join the EU’s 150-billion-euro (£128 billion) Safe defence procurement program, giving Canadian companies access to joint procurement as Europe increases defence spending.

The two sides have also discussed closer co-operation on energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade.

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.