Ursula von der Leyen’s diplomatic faux pas with Mark Carney

Ursula von der Leyen's handling of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit turned into a diplomatic fiasco, with one prominent Member of the European Parliament (MEP) deeming her actions "unacceptable." Carney will witness von der Leyen's speech to European Parliament members on Wednesday and deliver his own address the following day.

However, a scheduling conflict led to von der Leyen originally planning to return to Brussels after her State of the European Union address, missing Carney's speech. Her team hastily reversed course Monday night and declared that she would remain in Strasbourg. The Canadian ambassador-designate to the EU, Jonathan Wilkinson, informed POLITICO that Ottawa had requested von der Leyen's presence for Carney's speech, stating, "They found a way to make it work, which I think is good for everybody."

This incident unfolds during a meticulously orchestrated week for the Commission president, as Brussels and Ottawa strive to strengthen their ties. Speculation has arisen that Canada is seeking "associate membership" in the EU, though such a status does not exist. Carney has denied pursuing this status, with a Canadian official suggesting that it was even a European proposal.

The scheduling issues began when von der Leyen was supposed to meet Carney in Strasbourg on Tuesday, which was subsequently moved to Wednesday. At first, the EU official believed they would have more time on Tuesday, but ultimately, von der Leyen would spend an additional night in Strasbourg. Carney has positioned himself as the leader of a coalition of "middle power" nations opposing larger countries wielding hard power, including the United States.

It was thus a coup for von der Leyen when he agreed to make the 6,000-kilometer journey to Strasbourg to attend her speech and address the European Parliament. Canada, a resource-rich country with 40 million people and a $2.5 trillion economy that is part of the G7, is viewed as a natural geopolitical partner for the EU. Despite von der Leyen not typically attending other leaders' speeches in the European Parliament, her decision to forgo Carney's speech was met with shock and criticism from MEPs and EU officials.

Belgian MEP Kathleen Van Brempt called von der Leyen's behavior "more than bad manners" and "unacceptable." European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also commented on the matter, acknowledging that it was not traditional for von der Leyen to stay for Carney's speech and questioning the reasons behind it. Canadian Ambassador-designate Jonathan Wilkinson confirmed that Ottawa had expressed its preference for von der Leyen to attend the speech.