The European Union has offered Canada to become its first-ever “associate member” as trade with the US escalates.
According to Sky News, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during her annual State of the European Union address on Wednesday, September 16, vowed to work on making Canada an EU member.
Opening the door for Canada
She told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU… Partnerships are a strategic choice for Europe. But they also respond to the fracture in the international rules-based system.”
Without taking US President Donald Trump’s name, she said that offering Canada historic membership was “not a partnership against anyone else, but for our common strength.”
Von der Leyen also told the EU's State of the Union address that the bloc and Canada "see the world with the same eyes," including on topics ranging from AI to climate change and geopolitics.
“And we have stood together: on Ukraine, on defense, on raw materials, and on supply chains. But above all...Europe and Canada believe in democracy. For a long time, we have discussed a leaders' format focused on the security of our continent, with partners like Canada, Norway, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and others involved,” she added.
The move came after the Trump administration, alongside Canada, hit several EU members with trade tariffs.
It is worth noting that the Canadian PM last week hinted about seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU after failed trade talks and a tense relationship with Trump.
Canada recently retaliated against US tariffs after Carney clearly said that the country would never agree to trade terms that would weaken its sovereignty.
Carney is scheduled to address the European Parliament on Thursday, September 17.
