Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday urged for deepened transatlantic ties with the European Union, speaking amid an ongoing diplomatic and trade dispute with the Trump administration. Carney advocated for closer collaboration, stating, "Canada and Europe are each strong. Canada and Europe are stronger together."
Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Carney told lawmakers that "Where our strengths differ, they complement. Where they overlap, they create scale. We should build on each other's strengths -- deliberately, systematically and rapidly." He called for Canada and Europe to work together on securing "strategic autonomy" in key areas including critical minerals, defense-industrial capacity, artificial intelligence and computing, energy security, and space.
Carney also promoted a move toward "seamless, digital trade in non-agricultural goods and a wide range of services," alongside deeper "people-to-people ties" to facilitate opportunities for young people to "work, study and live where they want on either side of the Atlantic." He clarified that his proposal was not intended to create a rival power bloc, but rather to enhance resilience.
"We do not seek power to dominate others," Carney stated. "On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one -- no one -- can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law."
Carney's visit coincided with an offer from the European Union to make Canada its first-ever "associate member." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed a desire to elevate the relationship, saying, "We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. We must urgently reimagine our partnerships. So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU."