The Guardian view on EU-Canada relations: strategic ambition with lessons for Britain | Editorial
Mark Carney’s response to the challenges posed by an unreliable US president contains a clarity of vision that is lacking in post-Brexit Britain There is no “associate membership” of the European Union, nor any blueprint for what such a thing might involve. It is a political hypothesis, describing a relationship of intimate strategic alignment with the EU, stopping short of actual membership, in…
The Guardian views EU-Canada relations as a strategic ambition with valuable lessons for Britain. Mark Carney, Canadian prime minister, echoes this perspective following his response to challenges from an unreliable US president. While there is no concept of "associate membership" of the European Union, or a detailed blueprint for such a relationship, it reflects a political notion of intimate strategic alignment with the EU.
This extends beyond actual membership, albeit with significant but undefined aspects. The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen extended an invitation to Canada to partake in this putative status during her recent state of the union speech. She described the future relationship as elevated "to the highest level possible," highlighting shared interests and values.
Mark Carney reciprocated this sentiment during a speech at the European parliament, emphasizing the need for "strategic autonomy through deep cooperation" across various fields. These areas include trade, defence, industrial capacity, science, space, and AI. He suggested Canada's participation in the EU's Erasmus student exchange programme and Horizon research scheme.
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