In the few months since Prime Minister Mark Carney made closer ties between Canada and Europe a priority as an alternative to the United States, the continent could be considered a less appealing partner.
In France, demonstrations have left thousands of buildings burned or looted and at least 1,000 police officers injured. A far-right political party that wants to rethink France’s relationship with the European Union is leading in the polls. Investors are shunning French debt as credit rating agencies sound warnings about its high level.
In Germany this month, a far-right party began overseeing a state’s legislature, a first since the Nazi era. Across much of Europe, centrist parties are losing ground to populist movements on the far right or the far left.
Despite all that, Mr. Carney appeared undeterred with his plans on Friday after hosting what was billed as a summit meeting in Montreal with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and António Costa, president of the European Council.
Mr. Carney announced that the parties would conclude talks on making Canada an “associate member” of the European Union by June 2027. More important, those negotiations will also define that affiliation, which does not currently exist within the group.
Until Friday, Mr. Carney had shied away from using “associate member” or any other name to describe closer relations with Europe.
“We are working towards the deepest possible partnership — short of accession because of our geography — with Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member,” Mr. Carney said at a news conference after the meetings. “We’re leveraging and complementing each other’s strengths and building our resilience. Creating more choice, ensuring that we are not beholden to others. In fact, we are building a trans-Atlantic age between Canada and the European Union.” » | Ian Austen | Reporting from Montreal | Friday, October 30, 2026
