Canada-EU alliance isn’t meant to be a US rival with ‘better manners,’ Carney says
File image - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday insisted that his proposed new alliance with the European Union isn’t meant to be a US rival with 'better manners.'
By Hanna Ziady, CNN
London (CNN) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took a veiled swipe at US President Donald Trump on Thursday, insisting that his proposal to deepen ties with the European Union wasn’t aimed at creating a new geopolitical bloc “with better manners.”
Carney’s comments come a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the bloc’s first “associate member,” provoking a fresh tariff threat from Trump.
Canada and the European Union have both been on the receiving end of Trump’s tariffs, spurring them to seek new alliances to shore up their economies.
“I’m not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great power rival, only with better manners,” Carney told EU lawmakers in France.
“We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten territorial integrity or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.”
During a speech in which he occasionally spoke in French and drew heavily on the historic ties between Canada and the EU, Carney laid out the case for closer cooperation to build resilience against what he called “new storms,” citing climate change, the weaponization of trade and the erosion of democratic norms.
“Europe and Canada are stronger together,” he said. “A Canada-EU alliance would create a beacon for other democracies.”
Carney said he welcomed von der Leyen’s ambition to make Canada an EU “associate member” and that an “overwhelming majority” of Canadians also supported closer ties, according to polls.
He said Canada and Europe should cooperate on critical minerals and energy security, touting Canada’s ability to provide Europe with liquefied natural gas and hydrogen.
He also highlighted defense production, payments and artificial intelligence as areas for closer cooperation, saying Europe and Canada could jointly develop AI safety protocols.
“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 added.
Carney suggested that Canada should be allowed to join the EU’s coveted Erasmus+ and Horizon programmes, which provide considerable funding to education and scientific research, respectively.
– This is a developing story and will be updated.
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