Half-joking comments about Canada joining the bloc have become common as Ottawa adapts to its fraying relationship with the United States.

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.

  • Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.worldEnglish
    49·
    3 days ago

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

  • Jiral@lemmy.orgEnglish
    4·
    2 days ago

    It is a fact that they “could” join. There is nothing in the treaties excluding them if all member states really support that. That doesn’t mean Canada should do that. A stronger aliance bereeen EU and Canada with deeper economic cooperation would likeky be the better option.

    • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.netEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      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?

      • Jiral@lemmy.orgEnglish
        1·
        5 hours ago

        Joining the EU is a committment. It is not only an economic free trade area, it is a political union. It also means “pooling sovereignty”, see it as something halfway to a proper federation. I am not saying that this is out of question regarding Canada but I doubt that either Canada or the EU are really aspiring that.

        • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.netEnglish
          1·
          4 hours ago

          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?

          • Jiral@lemmy.orgEnglish
            1·
            2 hours ago

            It is not about that though. Joining the EU means joining in common political institutions, accepting that EU law is above national law, that decisions on EU law are made together in common political instiutitons. It also means that one can be outvoted by others and still be bound by the result. Most areas (major exceptions being defense and foreign policy) of policy making in the EU are nowadays majority decisions with individual member states having no veto power on their own. Joining the EU is not joining some free trade zone or even some defense alliance, it is half way to joining another country (with the key difference that one can indeed leave anytime again).

            It is not so much that Canada and the EU would have that many conflict points it. It is again, the level of commitment. Just because you are best buddies, doesn’t mean that sharing the same bedroom is the next logical step. Unless you are serious about that of course.

  • stoy@lemmy.zipEnglish
    24·
    3 days ago

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

    Trump would go even more insane.

  • Tja@programming.devEnglish
    18·
    3 days ago

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

  • jefferyjefferson@lemmy.orgEnglish
    151·
    3 days ago

    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!

    • Soggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      3 days ago

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

      • Guy Ingonito@reddthat.comEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

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

        • aloofPenguin@piefed.worldEnglish
          1·
          2 days ago

          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

          • Guy Ingonito@reddthat.comEnglish
            2·
            1 day ago

            Joining the euro made it so greece couldn’t devalue its own currency or set its own interest rates.

            Valuable economic tools that get replaced with cheap credit.

  • Smoogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    3 days ago

    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.

    • MBech@feddit.dkEnglish
      51·
      3 days ago

      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.”

      • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        7·
        3 days ago

        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.”

  • toad@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    211·
    2 days ago

    Of course they can.

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

      • toad@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        13·
        2 days ago

        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.

        • iglou@programming.devEnglish
          1·
          1 day 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.

  • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.caEnglish
    32·
    3 days ago

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