CARNEY TO SPEAK
Earlier this month, Carney had said he was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU as relations between Ottawa and Washington have deteriorated since Trump’s return to the White House, leading to tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in cross-border trade.
Carney is due to address the European Parliament at 11.30am (5.30pm, Singapore time).
It is unclear at this stage whether von der Leyen’s proposal of associate membership would be backed by EU member states or by Canada.
“UNFORTUNATE PROPOSAL”?
One EU diplomat expressed surprise on Wednesday at the proposal, saying “nobody really knows what it means”, adding there were concerns that the European Commission chief “is overpromising and won’t be able to deliver”. The EU has historically resisted such flexible alliances that have no legal status.
On Thursday, another European diplomat called it an “unfortunate proposal, which has never been discussed with Member States”.
A third European diplomat said Trump’s reaction said more about how he views international relations than about von der Leyen’s proposal.
“If this is described as a hostile act, it suggests that partnerships are a zero-sum game where closer cooperation with one means loss of sovereign choice for another,” the diplomat said. “And it also hints that the US sees Canada as part of its sphere of influence rather than an independent actor.”
Another European diplomat added: “It’s a good thing that we learned in the meantime to not take every statement of President Trump seriously.”
