François-Philippe Champagne argued the proposal is focused on building “an alliance of the future.” He added, “The world has changed. America has changed. So we need to change,” and directly asked, “Why don’t we team up?” Champagne said Canada and the UK are “very aligned in our vision of the world,” and that both are “independent and sovereign, but we are stronger together.”
The comments followed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s suggestion of “opening the door” to an unprecedented associate EU membership for Canada. Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England, travelled to Strasbourg this month to press the case for closer ties, and Champagne described that visit as part of efforts “to build the alliance of the future.”
Champagne also used the appearance to defend Canada’s recent tariff response to a collapsed trade deal with the US, saying Ottawa “stood up for our industries, our workers, our country.” He said Canada’s measures were “measured, targeted and strategic… dollar for dollar, tariff for tariff,” and added the country does not seek escalation, saying it will “reengage at the right time.” He insisted that at some point Canada had to say “Enough is enough,” and argued the dispute offers a “golden opportunity” to diversify partners.
Washington has criticised the idea of an EU-Canada partnership, with President Trump calling the proposal “laughable” and labelling Canada a “terrible trading partner.” That reaction underlines an immediate geopolitical tension: closer Canada-EU links, and a possible UK alignment, would reshape how London balances post-Brexit relations with both Brussels and Washington.
The contours of any associate arrangement remain undefined. Carney has pointed to possible cooperation on university and research programmes, AI and defence funding, and easier movement for young people, while Canada could offer critical minerals and gas and seek access to European advanced technologies. For now, EU and Canadian officials are talking through possibilities, and ministers say the next step is to formalise what an associate framework would actually include.
