“Let’s Counter the Trump Risk”: EU Offers Canada Historic First “Associate Member” Status

[Financial News] The European Union (EU) has formally proposed granting Canada “associate member” status for the first time in its history. Amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s hostile tariff policies and security threats, Europe and Canada are stepping up their “anti-Trump solidarity” to reduce their dependence on the United States and defend democratic values.

During her annual policy address at the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, on the 16th (local time), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told specially invited Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, “I would like us to open the door together so that Canada can become the EU’s first associate member.”
This was the first time in history that a foreign head of government had been officially invited to the European Commission president’s annual policy address. Members of the European Parliament and European Commission officials in attendance responded with a standing ovation, while Prime Minister Carney nodded in agreement.
President von der Leyen emphasized, “Europe and Canada believe in democracy. Power does not belong only to the strongest and wealthiest,” adding, “We must move beyond the existing EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) toward an ‘alliance for the future’ spanning various areas, including AI, critical minerals, the defense industry, energy, and the Arctic.”

The proposal was prompted decisively by heightened security and trade uncertainty since the start of Trump’s second term. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to “make Canada the 51st state of the United States” and escalated tensions by imposing sweeping tariffs. Europe, too, has felt uneasy about U.S. pressure to increase defense spending and its efforts to fuel divisions within NATO.
Prime Minister Carney, who has sought to reduce Canada’s dependence on U.S. trade and build solidarity among middle powers, has therefore pursued a “unique alliance” with the EU. Carney is scheduled to address the European Parliament in person on the 17th, while the two leaders plan to continue their summit talks in Montreal, Canada, next month.

President von der Leyen also strongly expressed her determination to correct another global risk: the trade imbalance with China. “The EU is currently running an astronomical deficit of €1 billion a day in trade with China,” she said. “We will use every means available to restore balance, and we will establish an EU body dedicated to securing and stockpiling critical raw materials, including rare earths.”
She added that the EU would prepare “guidelines for responding to hybrid threats” in response to Russian cyberterrorism and drone provocations amid the prolonged war in Ukraine.
She also identified climate change and AI as future priorities, outlining plans to establish a “climate insurance coalition.” As part of global regulations to protect young people, she announced a tough policy under which “the EU will completely ban social-media use by children under 13, while those aged 13 to 15 will be allowed to use only guardian-managed accounts.”

[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter