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Canada could join EU, French foreign minister says (www.politico.eu)
submitted 7 months ago by to c/world@lemmy.world
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Half-joking comments about Canada joining the bloc have become common as Ottawa adapts to its fraying relationship with the United States.

France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot has floated the idea that Canada could one day join the European Union, using the transatlantic ally as a striking example of the bloc’s global appeal.

Speaking at the Europe 2026 conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, Barrot argued that the EU is increasingly attracting partners far beyond its borders as geopolitical tensions soar.

Barrot’s Canada remark was not presented as a concrete policy proposal, but rather as part of a broader argument that the EU is emerging as a “third superpower” capable of balancing the rivalry between the United States and China.

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[–] 48 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Otherwise known as please Canada bring your production capacity to Europe since we’re both getting divorced from the US

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  • [–] 44 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Increasing trade between the EU and Canada just makes perfect sense, with or without full membership. They bring the raw resources, we bring the equipment to extract those raw resources. It's a pretty sweet deal for both parties.

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    • [–] 28 points 7 months ago (6 children)

    new europe map drop

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  • [–] 17 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    ftfy

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    bro erased england but kept russia and belarus 💀

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    • [–] 23 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    It would be increadibly funny to make the US/CA border full of EU flags.

    Trump would go even more insane.

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    • [–] 18 points 7 months ago (8 children)

    Joining the EU might be suboptimal (and unrealistic), but some kind of trade agreement would be awesome.

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    And defence agreement

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  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Since we are both in the northern part of the Atlantic... we could name it after that?

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  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Yeah, that's a great idea. They should call it something like the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement.

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    • [–] 13 points 7 months ago

    Canada does have a land border with Denmark with Hans Island, so it is joined to Europe.

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    [–] 10 points 7 months ago (2 children)

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    • [–] 14 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    This would be one of the greatest decisions Canada and the EU make.

    Here's hoping they go through with it and really give the US a run for their money!

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    • [–] 7 points 7 months ago

    ....also the "striking appeal' of Canada

    nice to be the belle of the ball

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    [–] 4 points 7 months ago* (5 children)

    Yes they've been trying. I believe Denmark was the hold out. Which is weird stance considering Greenland's situation. And the trade route like right there. Honestly don't really understand why all of EU aren't jumping on this as hard as the US is.

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago* (4 children)

    I can't find anything about Denmark not wanting Canada in the EU

    however, according to the treaty. A country needs to actually be european to apply for membership according to the text:

    "Any European State which respects the principles set out in Article 6(1) may apply to become a member of the Union."

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    If you consult the full text of the treaty, what you'll notice is that "European state" is not defined anywhere in the treaty. In fact, that quote you posted is literally the only instance of the term in the 55 consolidated articles. Even the "Copenhagen Criteria" which lay out the explicit requirements for membership just gesture back at article 49 again. It's basically the only use of that term anywhere in the written law on the subject, at least that I can find.

    Outside of the text of the treaty, there aren't really any commonly accepted legal definitions of a "European state." Most legal definitions that do exist define it a member of the EU, which is obviously completely circular if you try to use that as a definition of entry criteria; "You're allowed in if you're already in." Geographic definitions don't work because they've always been fuzzy. Is Turkey part of Europe or part of "The Middle East"? Is the "The Middle East" part of Europe, Africa, Asia....? Russia is either a European country or an Asian country depending on what day of the week it is. Parts of the EU extend onto the African continent. Cyprus is an EU member and they're off the coast of Syria. And given that Canada shares both land and sea borders with EU states (which is actually more than some other EU members can claim), they've got all the leeway in the world to decide we qualify if they want to. It basically just comes down to "You're European if we say you are."

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    • [+] 4 points 7 months ago (10 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago* (9 children)

    Joining EU would be fairly simple way to achieve deeper economic cooperation and stronger alliance. Joining EU really hard to reverse (look at UK) so it guarantees long and stable relationship that businesses like.

    What are the downsides?

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  • [+] 1 point 7 months ago* (8 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (7 children)

    The way I see it EU requires (at least in theory) certain level of rule of law, independent justice system, anti-corruption measures and so on. Once country fulfills those requirements and joins the Union EU institutions have tools to make sure member countries keep adhering to those standards. I think Canadian institutions are at a level that would allow them to join EU and I don't see how EU making sure that Canada stays a healthy democracy would be bad for them. I don't see any conflict of interest here. Politically and economically Canada and EU have many common goals. I think both would benefit. Then again, I'm not that familiar with internal politics in Canada. Is there anything where Canada and EU would clash and being together in the common market would be a problem for either side?

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  • [+] 1 point 7 months ago (6 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (5 children)

    I agree but still, nothing you mention is necessarily bad for Canada. EU is leading the world in pretty much any policy you can think of: consumer protections, privacy, environmental policies, energy, women rights, worker protection, anti-corruption, freedom of press... The list goes on. (there may be some Asian country that's more progressive than EU but Canada will not join it to form a union. EU is the only real option). So the question is: are Canadians as progressive as EU or not? If they are than joining EU will protect them from their own government. Everything you said will simply serve to make sure that Canada's government will not take away some rights people want. If Canadians are not as progressive as EU then yes, it would be a problem because EU would force them to adapt some policies they don't wont. So the real question Canadians need to ask themselves is if they like what EU is doing or not.

    I don't see the level of commitment as an issue. It provides stability. If Canadians want to protect their rights from authoritarian take overs like in US joining EU and losing part of their sovereignty is actually a good thing.

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  • [+] 1 point 7 months ago (4 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (3 children)

    EU is not a guarantee but creates some friction against autocratic takeovers. When countries like Poland or Hungary try to weaken the rule of law EU has some tools at its disposal to discourage it. It doesn't always work but countries not in EU have even fewer protections. Also EU justice system is often the only thing protecting people from errors and abuses of national justice systems.

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  • [+] 1 point 7 months ago (2 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    Maybe I'm an optimist but most European countries an EU itself still have healthy and independent justice system. Even when extremists take over power in individual countries and at EU level they still have to operate inside the legal system. Situation like in US where the top court was completely taken over by political actors and is actively undermining all institutions is way less likely here, if at all possible. EU of course has many different, serious issues and I'm not saying that for sure nothing bad will happen here but I think most countries are safer as part of EU than being independent. Basically what I'm saying is that Brussels will most likely fall last. Once it's down we're all fucked.

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    • [–] 6 points 7 months ago (6 children)

    Would love the freedom of movement but we'd need to keep the loonie.

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Just stamp a line of €1 coins with the bird on them, every EU member gets their own coin.

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  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    It's more that I would like to ability to devalue the currency when needed. Don't want to end up like Greece

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago* (1 child)

    ELI5? I know Greece has/had economic struggles, but don't know what part the euro played in it.

    Or maybe I'm misunderstanding your comment?

    E: formatting

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    • [–] 1 point 7 months ago* (8 children)

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-eu-partnership-deepening-ties-1.7570680

    Carney already said no pretty clearly, so I'm not sure why this guy "floats the idea" again.

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  • [–] 11 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Carney is just the current PM. Let's see what the public thinks and if any party will put this in their program.

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)
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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    I think most surveys at this point indicate that Canadians look at their relationship with Europe positively rather than being a true indication that we want to join.

    Personally, I’d love to deepen our ties with European trade and I’m downright jealous of your free tuition, but I’m not convinced that Canada IN the EU is the correct decision.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    You don't go in (or out) of the Union in a whim. It takes years. So Carney won't be the PM if this happens.

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    • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    can uruguai join too

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    • [–] 1 point 7 months ago

    Uh...messy divorce, then Canada in 15 years: fuck you Brussels, you're not my real dad!

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    [+] -9 points 7 months ago (6 children)

    Of course they can.

    They're whites. Maybe we can invite australia and new zeland too.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (5 children)

    Correlation =/= causation

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  • [–] -2 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    In general yes. Here the common denominator is that canadians are british and french colonists who never kicked their invaders.

    Also the EU is corrupted as shit. And trust me, I know about it first hand, i work for them. I know your western propaganda makes you think we're friend because we're the goodies and they're the baddies. I can imagine the reader, shaking in hate as his worldview shatters. Still, give me one reason why canada would enter the european union before, say, turkey or bielorussia.

    Because they're civilized, aka white.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago

    In general yes. Here the common denominator is that canadians are british and french colonists who never kicked their invaders.

    They are the invaders. Just like the US. The difference is they didn't decide to go independent.

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