Carney's proposed EU associate membership for Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is pursuing what he calls a "unique alliance" with the European Union, exploring a new, still-undefined "associate member" status short of full EU membership, as part of a broader pivot away from Washington amid Canada's deepening trade war with the US. The push, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, has included talks with leaders such as France's Macron about letting Canadians work visa-free in the EU, and discussions on free movement of goods, services and workers in strategic sectors such as energy, AI, defence and critical minerals.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has since publicly backed the idea, telling the European Parliament on Wednesday she wants to "open the door" for Canada to become the bloc's first associate member, framing it as a partnership "for our common strength" without naming the US. Carney, who attended the speech and addresses the parliament on Thursday, has said Canada is not seeking full EU membership, and both sides describe the arrangement as still taking shape.