The European Commission president invited Canada to become the EU’s first-ever “associate member,” highlighting the global geopolitical realignment underway as a result of US pressure on allies. The move would transform the EU from a bloc defined by geography to one driven, at least ostensibly, by values.
It also risks further worsening Brussels’ and Ottawa’s relations with Washington: US President Donald Trump has railed against both, and is locked in a trade war with the latter; several EU member states are reportedly wary of the White House’s reaction. Still, the announcement could transform the EU and set the stage for more geographically ambitious expansion: “We are on the same page [as Canada],” Australia’s trade minister told the Sydney Morning Herald.
