Around 3,700 miles separate the Gothic towers of Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa from the glass-fronted modern European Parliament building in eastern France. But judging by the thunderous applause shaking the E.U. chamber Thursday, President Donald Trump’s threats are helping to close that distance. Canada and Europe have long been close U.S. allies, benefiting from American military power and trading heft.
But Trump has upended those relationships, waging trade wars against Canada and the E.U., while threatening to absorb Canada as America’s 51st state and take control of Greenland, Denmark’s autonomous Arctic territory. Without a reliable partner in the White House, the spurned allies are now forging their own path. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged the world’s “middle powers” to join forces in a speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday to create “an alliance strong enough so that no one can dictate our choices.” The strategy in short: strength in numbers.
So no one — no one — can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.” The remarks appeared aimed in part at Trump, though Carney did not name the president in his speech. The response in the room was a near-unanimous standing ovation from lawmakers representing the bloc’s 27 member countries. Some European leaders, meanwhile, appear ready to grant Canada more favorable access to its closely guarded single market.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen caused a stir Wednesday when she suggested making Canada the E.U.’s first “associate member.” She also outlined an “alliance for the future” that would increase cooperation on defense, energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and other tech. At a news conference Thursday, Carney stressed that Canada was “not in a position, nor seeking, to become a full member” of the European Union, a long and drawn-out process of regulatory alignment that can sometimes take decades for applicant countries. Carney has deep links to Europe, having served as governor of the Bank of England before his political homecoming propelled him to Canada’s leadership.
He tapped into those ties Wednesday, bonding with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at an Everton soccer match. The two vowed “close cooperation” separate from the European Union, which Britain left six years ago, while Carney also announced that Canada had applied to join the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a military coalition of 10 European NATO countries. Carney’s speech Thursday was hailed by some as a historic moment.
No more,” he posted to X. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a leftist who has repeatedly clashed with Trump, posted a playful image of the E.U. flag appended with the Canadian maple leaf. Trump, for his part, has proved less welcoming of Canada’s European ambitions, calling the prospect of E.U. associate membership “laughable.” He told reporters Wednesday that “if it’s a good intention, that’s fine.
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