European Countries Push Back on EU Plan To Admit Canada

The European Union’s President, Ursula von der Leyen, has unveiled a plan for Canada to become the bloc’s first associate member.In her annual State of the European Union address at Strasbourg, France, Ms. von der Leyen addressed Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was watching her speech in the European Parliament on Wednesday. “We must urgently reimagine our partnerships. So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU.” Ms. von der Leyen said they were “joining forces” to create a common prosperity and economic security. Canada and the EU, she said, would move from their current trade agreement to an “Alliance for the Future.” Ms. von der Leyen added, “This is a partnership not against anyone else, but for our common strength.”Prime Minister Carney has sought to move closer to Europe for trade and security as Canada’s relationship with America has deteriorated since President Trump returned to the White House.The proposed alliance is getting a cool reception in some member states. Five unnamed diplomats said governments are wary of giving Ottawa preferential trade access, the Financial Times reported. Member states worry that giving Canada benefits without having a full membership would diminish the value for the countries already in the bloc.One of the diplomats said there were also worries about how President Trump could respond to any agreement with Canada. That could be a major concern in member states that rely heavily on NATO for defense, especially Baltic states worried about threats from Russia.There are several countries in the process of joining the European Union as full members and they could raise complaints if Canada appears to be getting special treatment.Canada can’t fully join the European Union because it is not located in Europe. There has never been a process set up to add an associate member to the union and there are questions about how member states would approve Canada’s partial entry. Ms. Von der Leyen didn’t offer any details of a process for moving the idea forward.Ms. von der Leyen also was criticized for a diplomatic blunder during Mr. Carney’s trip. She initially did not plan to be in the audience when Mr. Carney addresses diplomats at the event on Thursday. She planned to return to Brussels for a child safety event.“That’s more than bad manners. It’s unacceptable,” a Belgian member of the European Parliament, Kathleen Van Brempt said in an X post.Another Belgian member of parliament echoed Ms. Van Brempt’s concerns. “Von der Leyen wants to please Trump. It’s incomprehensible given the state Europe is in compared to the world’s powers. The Canadian prime minister resists Trump without provoking. He proposes solutions. He deserves our support as Europeans,” MEP Elio Di Rupo said on X.Ms. von der Leyen made an abrupt change of plans on Monday night and said she would stay in France for Mr. Carney’s speech.

European Countries Push Back on EU Plan To Admit Canada

European Countries Push Back on EU Plan To Admit Canada

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