Article – The question caught Mark Carney off guard during his Brussels address last week. After outlining his vision for strengthened Canada-EU relations, the new Canadian Prime Minister was asked directly: “Why not just join the European Union?”
The room chuckled, but Carney’s response was surprisingly measured. “While full membership isn’t on the table, we’re exploring unprecedented levels of integration with European partners,” he said, revealing plans for what he called a “privileged partnership framework” that would go far beyond existing trade agreements.
This moment crystallized a dramatic shift in Canadian foreign policy just two months into Carney’s tenure. As relations with the United States grow increasingly complicated under President DeSantis, Canada is looking across the Atlantic with renewed interest.
“What we’re witnessing is the most significant reorientation of Canadian foreign policy since the 1940s,” explains Dr. Eleanore Franks, Director of Transatlantic Studies at McGill University. “The traditional north-south axis is being complemented by a much stronger east-west connection.”
The strategy reflects Carney’s unique background. Before entering politics, he led both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England – the first person to head two G7 central banks. His deep European connections were evident during last month’s five-country European tour, where he was received more like a returning colleague than a foreign dignitary.
In Berlin, Carney and Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a new German-Canadian clean energy corridor, with German firms investing $18 billion in Canadian hydrogen production facilities. In Paris, he and President Macron unveiled plans for a joint AI governance framework that would harmonize regulations between Canada and the EU’s AI Act.
But it’s in the security realm where the most surprising developments are occurring. Following Russia’s latest incursions into Finnish territory, Carney announced that Canadian forces would join the EU’s Nordic Defensive Initiative, marking the first time Canadian troops will operate under direct European command outside of NATO.
“Canada is positioning itself as a transatlantic bridge at exactly the moment when European strategic autonomy is becoming more than just a slogan,” notes Javier Solana, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, whom I interviewed via video call from Madrid.
The practical obstacles to actual EU membership remain immense. The geographic separation alone presents obvious challenges. And yet, precedent exists for non-European countries joining European institutions – Turkey has long been an EU candidate, while Israel competes in European sporting competitions and Eurovision.
“The technical barriers are real but not insurmountable,” argues Helena Konrad of the European Council on Foreign Relations. “The political will is what matters most, and on both sides, that will is strengthening rapidly.”
Public opinion reflects this shift. A recent Abacus Data poll shows 63% of Canadians now support “deeper integration with European economies,” up from 41% just two years ago. Among Canadians under 35, support reaches 71%.
On the ground in Brussels, I’ve observed growing receptiveness to Canadian involvement. At European Commission headquarters, officials speak openly about creating special status designations that could incorporate non-European democracies into various EU frameworks without full membership.
“We’re entering uncharted territory in terms of what ‘European’ actually means in the 21st century,” says Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager. “If we define Europe by values rather than geography, the case for Canadian participation becomes quite compelling.”
Critics see risks in this pivot. Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has warned against “abandoning our continental reality” and argues that “no relationship will ever be more important than the one with our American neighbors.”
Economic data supports this concern. Despite growing European ties, the U.S. still accounts for 76% of Canadian exports compared to the EU’s 8%. The integrated North American supply chains built under NAFTA and its successor USMCA would be difficult to replicate across the Atlantic.
Yet Carney’s team sees opportunity precisely in that imbalance. “Our overwhelming dependence on the American market is itself a national security vulnerability,” says Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. “Strategic diversification toward Europe isn’t abandoning America—it’s ensuring Canada’s resilience regardless of who occupies the White House.”
The economic analysis underpinning this strategy came from a classified Finance Ministry report that was partially leaked last month. It projected that bringing Canadian regulatory frameworks into alignment with EU standards could boost Canada-EU trade by 34% within five years.
For ordinary Canadians, the European shift could bring tangible benefits. Chrystia Horvath, who runs a small technology firm in Waterloo, told me she’s already seeing changes: “Suddenly we have access to European R&D partnerships that were closed to us before. It’s opening markets we hadn’t even considered.”
Beyond economics, there’s a cultural dimension to the European tilt. With nearly 60% of Canadians claiming European ancestry and French as an official language, many see strengthened European ties as a natural extension of Canadian identity.
Whether or not formal EU membership ever materializes, Canada’s European pivot represents a strategic gambit with far-reaching implications. As climate change opens Arctic shipping routes and resources, Canada’s position between Europe and Asia takes on new significance.
“We’re redefining what it means to be a North Atlantic nation,” Carney told parliament earlier this month. “In a world of competing power blocs, Canada’s future prosperity depends on being not just a resource provider, but an integral partner in the democratic alliance spanning the Atlantic.”
That vision faces its first major test next month when Canada hosts the inaugural Canada-EU Strategic Partnership Summit in Halifax. The outcome will reveal whether Carney’s European ambitions represent a transformative moment in Canadian foreign policy—or simply a temporary reaction to American volatility.
