Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to make Canada the EU’s first-ever “associate member” risks stoking political tensions with EU candidate countries that have been waiting for progress towards full membership for years.
On Thursday morning, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, is set to take the podium in the European Parliament following von der Leyen’s pitch.
His predecessor, Justin Trudeau, did so twice already, in 2017 and 2022. Yet this time, the scene is different.
Carney of the EU makes speech!
The alliance between Canada and Europe is not defined by what we oppose. It is about what we are for: freedom, solidarity, prosperity, sustainability. An alliance strong enough so that no one can dictate our choices.
Europe and Canada are each strong. Europe and Canada are even… pic.twitter.com/RW85Z0EauJ
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) September 17, 2026
