Mark Carney says of EU-Canada partnership: "what are we actually building together?"

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used a Sept. 17, 2026, speech to the European Parliament during a visit to Strasbourg to pursue closer ties with the European Union, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed Canada as the bloc's first possible associate member—a status EU treaties do not currently provide for. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the idea and said he could impose tariffs or stop trading with the EU if it went ahead. Carney welcomed the proposal, described the partnership as positive rather than aimed at any country, and said Canada would not let others control its international choices. On the proposed label, Carney told reporters the name was not the main issue. The visit precedes an EU-Canada summit in Montreal next month.