Carney Pitches Canada as EU's First Associate Member, Vancouver Welcomes Move

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has thrown his weight behind the idea of Canada becoming the European Union's first associate member, arguing that closer ties with Europe would prevent any single country from controlling Canada's markets or eroding its sovereignty.

Speaking to the European Parliament, Carney made the case for deeper cooperation between Ottawa and Brussels, even as Canada's long-standing relationship with the United States loomed over the address. That relationship has grown increasingly strained, with tariffs, demands for economic concessions and repeated suggestions that Canada become the 51st state pushing Ottawa to look for ways to reduce its reliance on its southern neighbour.

Carney set out an ambitious vision for the partnership, covering trade, defence, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research and financial services. The goal, he said, would be to make both sides less exposed to economic and geopolitical pressure. He later clarified to reporters that he was not seeking full EU membership for Canada.

In Vancouver, residents responded positively to the proposal. Doug Taylor said the pressure coming from the US president had produced an unexpected upside, bringing mid-sized countries together in a more meaningful way. "People are just not taking the bullying any longer," he said, describing how such countries are consolidating, planning and trading, and building alliances.

Taylor also praised Carney for framing the moment as a rupture in the global order — language he called remarkable coming from a cautious former central banker, especially at a time when much of the world was hesitant to name the shift.

Another Vancouver resident, Milovan Mracevich, offered a more measured view. He noted that Canada's trade with the European Union amounts to roughly one-tenth of its trade with the United States, suggesting it would take a long time for EU trade to approach the scale of Canada-US commerce. Even so, he said, expanding trade with Europe is one of the cards Canada has to play, and it should be playing that card.