Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney received a standing ovation in the European Parliament after calling for a closer alliance with the EU, hours after Donald Trump threatened Europe with tariffs over the proposal.
Speaking in Strasbourg on Thursday, Carney welcomed an offer for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member”. He called for closer work on trade, defence, energy and technology, arguing that Canada and Europe would be better able to withstand pressure from larger powers if they acted together.
“Europe and Canada are each strong. Europe and Canada are even stronger together,” he told MEPs. His address was repeatedly interrupted by applause, and lawmakers stood at the end. The full speech is available from the European Parliament.
Trump threatens tariffs over Canada proposal
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen raised the prospect of associate membership in her State of the European Union speech on Wednesday. The proposal is still at an early stage. There is no existing EU membership category by that name, and any agreement would need the support of member states.
Trump was unimpressed. Before Carney addressed parliament, the US president called the idea “laughable” and said he could impose “very serious tariffs” or restrict trade with Europe if he judged it to be hostile to the United States.
“If it’s a good intention, that’s fine,” Trump told reporters. “If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.”
Carney went ahead with the speech and welcomed the offer. He did not announce that Canada was joining the EU, or suggest it wanted full membership. Asked afterwards about the term “associate member”, he said the substance of the relationship mattered more than its name.
He also rejected the suggestion that stronger ties with Europe should be seen as a challenge to America. Carney said Canada was seeking greater resilience so that other powers could not control its markets or dictate its choices. At a press conference, he described the initiative as positive in its own right, rather than a reaction to Trump.
What Carney wants from Europe
The speech went well beyond a statement of friendship. Carney proposed closer cooperation on critical minerals, defence manufacturing, artificial intelligence, energy security, space and payment systems.
He also called for easier digital trade in goods outside agriculture, and for more opportunities for young Canadians and Europeans to live, study and work on either side of the Atlantic. He raised the possibility of Canada joining Erasmus+, the EU’s education and exchange programme.
On energy, Carney said Canada could supply liquefied natural gas and hydrogen to Europe, supported by new port infrastructure. On critical minerals, he argued that Canadian resources and European processing could help both sides build more secure supply chains.
His broader argument was that neither Canada nor Europe can make itself immune to economic pressure by acting alone. In a speech that criticised the use of tariffs and trade as weapons, Carney called the goal “collective resilience”. Reuters published further extracts from the address.
The politics of the moment were hard to miss. Canada is trying to reduce its dependence on the United States while Trump threatens tariffs against allies. Europe is looking for reliable partners in trade, defence and energy. Von der Leyen’s proposal offered both sides a way to deepen an existing relationship, although the terms have yet to be settled.
Carney was careful about how he described it. “I am not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great-power rival,” he told MEPs, adding a pointed aside: “Only with better manners.”
The chamber’s response gave him the image that will travel furthest: European lawmakers on their feet applauding a Canadian prime minister shortly after the US president warned them against getting closer. The practical test comes next, when Canada and the EU have to agree what their new alliance would actually do.
One response to “Mark Carney gets standing ovation after backing closer EU ties despite Trump tariff threat”
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I wish our PM was an individual of similar stature and no nonsense action ( as Carney), protecting the well being of the majority from tyrants and bullies whos aim is to feather their own personal nest.
Go Canada go!
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