Carney, Macron to meet as talks of stronger Canada-EU relationship ramp up

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron this week, as Canada aims to strengthen energy and defense ties with its European ally. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Carney’s visit to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, on September 20.

During the meeting, Macron and Carney will discuss expanding their partnership in strategic sectors, including aerospace, energy, critical minerals, and advanced technologies like quantum computing, satellites, and supercomputing.

The move comes as the Wall Street Journal reported that Carney is accelerating Canada’s shift towards Europe. Some European leaders have even been told by Carney that Canada could consider the title of "Associate Member of the European Union." Carney’s visit to France follows his meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, where they are expected to discuss defense, security, energy, and artificial intelligence.

In addition to the meeting with Macron, Carney will address the European Parliament in Strasbourg and attend the State of the European Union address. The European Union’s ambassador to Canada, Geneviève Tuts, revealed that the bloc is developing a unique partnership with Ottawa, which will differ from the relationships the EU has with other countries such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who frequently interacts with Carney, expressed support for Canada having a stronger relationship with the EU, saying, "Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?" The discussions in France are expected to pave the way for a potential announcement at a later summit in late October.