Carney Heads to EU Parliament to Push 'Unique Alliance' Amid US Trade Tensions

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Strasbourg on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign head of government to attend the European Commission president's State of the Union address. He will address the European Parliament on Thursday, setting out his vision for what he calls a "unique alliance" between Canada and Europe.

The visit comes as Ottawa pivots away from its southern neighbour amid an increasingly bitter trade war. Carney has pledged to double Canada's non-US trade within a decade.

Seven EU diplomats said active efforts are under way to deepen collaboration on trade, defence and digital security, though no comprehensive plan has been discussed at a high level. Carney said more detailed talks would begin at the Canada-EU summit in Montreal in late October.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said ties with the EU have grown closer, citing shared values and economic interests.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Carney had suggested Canada become an "associate member" of the EU. Four EU diplomats in Canada said any form of membership was impossible, pointing to geographic constraints and legal implications. "We want to upgrade the Canada-EU relationship, but even though we both believe in a rules-based global order, there is an ocean that separates us," one diplomat said.

Significant obstacles remain. Mark Manger, a professor at the University of Toronto, said EU officials have been frustrated by Canada's refusal to open its telecommunications and dairy sectors. Although Canada has a trade deal with the 27-member bloc, 10 countries have not ratified it.

Anand Sundar of the European Council on Foreign Relations said officials are working on proposals for a unique relationship similar to the EU's agreements with other non-EU states. He identified defence as the area where both sides' dependence on the US runs deepest and where public support is easiest to secure. In December, Canada became the first non-European country to join a European defence procurement initiative.

Four European diplomats said many leaders were privately shocked by US President Donald Trump's verbal attacks on Canada, but most are reluctant to publicly back Carney's more aggressive trade stance for fear of provoking Washington.

Canada's EU ambassador-designate, Jonathan Wilkinson, said European officials have been in close contact with Ottawa and that there is much tacit support. "We haven't asked European leaders to stand up and make a declaration of support for Canada and I don't think we need that," he said. "We can stand up for ourselves and find new ways to work."