Carney Backs Deeper EU Ties as Trump Threatens Tariffs

Canada and the EU, Mark Carney argued Thursday, shouldn't be a counterweight to Washington and Beijing so much as a sturdier version of themselves. In a well-received speech to the European Parliament, the Canadian prime minister backed the push for a deeper partnership with Europe—stopping short of endorsing the European Commission's floated label of "associate member," but praising its "ambition," Reuters reports.

• "Europe and Canada are each strong. Europe and Canada are even stronger together," Carney said. There was laughter when he said he wasn't proposing a "third bloc" to rival the US and China, "only with better manners."
• "We do not seek power to dominate others," Carney said. "On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law." Sovereignty, he said, "requires resilience—the ability to withstand shocks."

On Wednesday, President Trump dismissed the European Union's proposal as "laughable" and warned he could respond with "very serious tariffs" or "stop trading with Europe on many things" if he deems it "a hostile act," CNBC reports. Carney didn't mention Trump by name in his remarks to the European Parliament, but he addressed aggressive trade tactics. reports the CBC. "We are not fair-weather allies. We do not pursue zero-sum deals," Carney said. "We hold common values, for which we have always fought, and in whose defence we must always remain vigilant."

• When asked about Trump's comments during a news conference after the speech, Carney said, "We are looking for partnerships that are complementary, that reinforce our sovereignty." Canadians, he said, "are united that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak, no one is going to dictate our culture or with whom we can strike agreements." internationall

Carney flagged critical minerals, defense production, AI, energy, and space as key areas for deeper cooperation. He also proposed that Canada join the EU's Erasmus program to support youth, training, and sports. "We should deepen our people-to-people ties, allowing our youth to live, work and study where they want on either side of the Atlantic," he said. Some EU diplomats, meanwhile, questioned what "associate membership" actually means and whether all 27 member states would support it. Carney will host EU leaders for a summit in Montreal next month, where details of the new arrangement could be fleshed out, the AP reports.