Carney's new love-in with EU has everything to do with Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is seeking a closer economic and political alliance with the European Union amid escalating trade tensions with the United States. This shift follows aggressive tariff policies and territorial rhetoric from US President Donald Trump.
Why it matters
The potential realignment of Canadian trade policy signals a significant shift in North American geopolitical stability and transatlantic relations.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Carney is a guest of von der Leyen in Strasbourg this week
"Wouldn't it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?" asked Finland's President Alexander Stubb this summer.
The question was rather tongue-in-cheek. US President Donald Trump, who is currently locked in an escalating tariff tussle with Ottawa, has, on a number of occasions, declared his ambition to make Canada the 51st American state - causing deep offence amongst many Canadians.
Finland is one of the EU's 27 member states and a close ally of Canada as a fellow Arctic nation. Teasing tones aside, President Stubb put his finger squarely on the pulse of deepening EU-Canadian relations. "Canada is more Europe-minded than most Europeans!" is a smiling retort you often hear in Brussels at the moment.
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