Carney welcomes EU’s ‘associate member’ plan, while Trump lashes out

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney looks on during the annual keynote address of the European Commission's President at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France on September 16, 2026. Photo by JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN /AFP via Getty Images

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STRASBOURG, FRANCE — Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the European Unions’ invitation to become its first ever “associate member,” pitching Canadian energy and critical minerals in exchange for knocking down trade and travel barriers as well as deeper integration on tech, defence and artificial intelligence.

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On Thursday morning, Carney delivered a speech to hundreds of members of European Parliament (MEP) members as well as EU chief Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

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The prime minister confirmed Canada’s interest in becoming the first ever “associate member” of the Union, an invitation extended the previous day by von der Leyen.

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His speech aimed to pitch Canada as a natural ally for the block of 27 European countries in the face of international upheaval — a “tremendous storm,” in his words — and the creation of the next world order. He sold Canada as a reliable partner in the face of increasing trade violence and volatility by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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He delivered the speech on the heels of new tit-for-tat tariffs between Canada and the U.S. after trade negotiations between both countries once again failed to deliver a new deal.

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Already close, Canada and the European Union should cooperate even more to build up their defence industrial bases, develop sovereign compute but also regulate artificial intelligence, and make it easier for students to move between them, Carney argued.

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“We are not fair-weather allies. We do not pursue zero-sum deals,” he told hundreds of European lawmakers. “Our commitment to the rule of law and our unyielding defence of human dignity, individual freedom, and democracy share the same deep roots, the same unwavering dedication.”

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Canada has loads of energy, including natural gas and hydrogen, and critical minerals that Europe will need for decades, he argued. On the flip side, Canada can contribute to Europe’s military procurement and development and would like to pool “sovereign compute power” to break away from foreign tech giant dependence.

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He would also like Canada to join Erasmus+, a 26.2 billion Euro program student mobility and exchange program.

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“Canada and Europe should consider exploring an integrated market for financial services to broaden choice and reduce costs for our citizens,” he added.

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Much like his headline-grabbing speech at the World Economic Forum at Davos in January, Carney’s speech repeatedly took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration without naming the president. This time, he focus his criticism on the U.S.’s growing use of tariffs and trade threats to ply longtime allies like Canada.

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“Today, our societies are being shaken by new storms: the upheavals linked to climate change, the erosion of democratic norms, and the use of trade as a weapon,” said the prime minister.