Mark Carney has accepted the invitation extended by Ursula von der Leyen yesterday for Canada to become the first associated member of the EU. "Yesterday, President Von der Leyen spoke of going beyond CETA towards an Alliance for the Future, opening the door for Canada to become the first associated member of the European Union. We welcome this ambition: surveys show that an overwhelming majority of Canadians support much closer ties," stated the Canadian Prime Minister during his speech at the European Parliament, the same place where the head of the European Commission proposed the idea yesterday.
"An alliance between Canada and the EU would create a beacon for other democracies. An alliance defined not by what we oppose, but by what we stand for: freedom, solidarity, prosperity, and sustainability," continued Carney, who not only ignored the threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump last night but also invited other countries to join this alliance.
"An alliance strong enough so that no one can dictate our decisions. Open enough for others to join. Based on principles enough so that our strength reinforces international law instead of replacing it," Carney continued.
Specifically, Trump reverted to his favorite threat whenever something displeases him: tariffs. "It's ridiculous. Canada has been a terrible trading partner," said the magnate, adding that this alliance would be a "hostile act." However, Carney disregarded these words and, in fact, his speech is filled with veiled references to the U.S. President and his way of politics and attempting to lead the world.
"The opportunities that an alliance for the future can create are fundamentally a result of our common values, our compatible systems, and our complementary strengths. Deepening and expanding our relationship will strengthen our sovereignty, improve the affordability, opportunities, and security of Canadian and European citizens, while protecting our ability to live our lives as we choose," Carney pointed out.
Just as Von der Leyen did yesterday, the Canadian Prime Minister wanted to convey that this alliance is not against anyone. Not even Trump. But precisely that reference makes it clear that, at least, it is a union to defend against him.
"We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we seek resilience so that no one can control our open markets, undermine our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, democracies, or rule of law. These motivations, combined with our latent hard power, mean that we can contribute to creating the next fair, stable, and prosperous world order," he affirmed in Strasbourg.
The Canadian official also outlined everything his country can contribute to the EU. "Canada can provide LNG and large-scale hydrogen to strengthen Europe's energy security, among other things through the development and utilization of new port infrastructures in the far north and on our east coast. In turn, we can benefit from their leadership in numerous clean energy technologies," he noted. And furthermore: "Canada has deposits of over 34 critical minerals and we are among the top producers of the ten most essential for the global energy transition."