In his speech to the European Parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted areas in which he would like to strengthen cooperation.
Published September 17, 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the possibility of his country becoming the first associate member of the European Union, saying such an alliance is about being a “beacon of democracy” and not about “dominating other countries.”
Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Carney said Canada “welcomes” von der Leyen’s ambition to become an associate member.
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“We are not a smooth-sailing ally. We will not pursue zero-sum deals. We hold common values and have always fought for them. We must remain vigilant to protect those values,” Carney said to applause from European lawmakers.
“Canada and Europe are strong on their own. Europe and Canada are even stronger together.”
“I’m not proposing a third bloc to become a rival to the big powers. Just good manners,” he continued. “We do not seek power to control others. On the contrary, we seek resilience so that no one can control our open markets, undermine our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, democracy, and rule of law.”
Mr. Carney listed a number of areas in which he would like to strengthen cooperation.
“Canada and Europe should ensure our country’s strategic autonomy through deep cooperation across a full range of strategic capabilities, including critical minerals, defense industrial capabilities, AI and computing, energy security, space and payments.”
He also said the EU and Canada should move towards “seamless digital trade” and allow young people on both sides to work and study on either side of the Atlantic.
The EU and Canada are bitter rivals, facing pressure from the Trump administration and an increasingly assertive China over trade and other issues.
Late Wednesday, President Trump threatened to take action against the EU if it moves forward with Ms. von der Leyen’s proposal for Canadian associate membership.
“If they did that, and I thought it was even remotely hostile, I would impose very severe tariffs or cut off trade with Europe on a lot of things,” Trump told reporters, calling the proposal “ridiculous.”
“If it’s in good faith, that’s fine. If it’s in bad faith, we’ll impose very heavy tariffs on Europe,” he added.
The European Commission (EC) said von der Leyen’s proposal was not yet concrete and would need approval from EU member states to proceed, but it was not a hostile act.
“As our president (Von der Leyen) made clear yesterday, our proposal to strengthen our partnership with Canada is not about other countries, but about our common strength,” EC spokesperson Olof Gil said in a statement.
