EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen Proposes Groundbreaking 'Associate Member' Status for Canada Amid US Tensions

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has raised the prospect of Canada becoming the 27-nation European Union’s first “associate member,” presenting a striking overture as both sides seek to pivot away from a hostile United States under President Donald Trump.

Speaking on Wednesday during her annual State of the Union address at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, von der Leyen made the statement after Prime Minister Mark Carney noted earlier in the week that Canada was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU, rather than full membership. Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the keynote speech, marking the first time a foreign head of government has been present for the address ahead of an upcoming EU-Canada summit in Montreal next month. Carney is also scheduled to deliver his own address to the European Parliament on Thursday.

Addressing the European Parliament, von der Leyen emphasized that as democracies face a “fracture in the international rules-based system,” Brussels and Ottawa must pull closer together. “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU,” she told Carney.

Von der Leyen explained that it is time to move beyond a relationship based purely on trade to a broader “alliance for the future,” elevating the partnership to the highest possible level. She noted that the EU and Canada will collaborate across sectors ranging from manufacturing to artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and energy, stressing that the partnership is “not against anyone else, but for our common strength.”

While current EU treaties do not formally envision an “associate member” status, the concept was previously proposed this year by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding Ukraine, though it received a cold reception in Kyiv as officials there push for full membership. Under that framework, participants could attend EU summits, maintain a representative in the European Commission, and benefit from parts of the EU budget without holding full voting rights.

Amid US tariffs and growing competition from China, Brussels and Ottawa already share robust cooperation. Their free-trade agreement, CETA, has eliminated nearly all tariffs and boosted trade in goods and services by over 80 percent since 2016, while Canada recently became the first non-EU country to join a flagship defence loan programme.

“We believe that power does not belong to the strongest, the richest or the loudest – but to all of us. That democracies have the freedom to choose with whom to work,” von der Leyen said. “So, we are joining forces voluntarily.”