In seeking partners for his “middle powers” strategy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is looking to Europe first and foremost. On the day he broke off trade talks with the United States, he announced that Canada would negotiate a “stronger and deeper security and economic partnership” with the EU. On 17 September, he is also due to address the European Parliament.
Canada has close economic ties to the United States. However, because Canada’s economy is far smaller than that of its neighbour, it is at a severe disadvantage when it acts alone. Carney hopes that the EU will provide a counterweight; he explicitly points to it as the world’s second-largest economy and a like-minded partner.
Canada moves towards a deeper partnership with the EU
The EU is an obvious partner for Canada, and the two sides have deepened their already close relationship since Trump’s return to the White House. In 2025, the EU and Canada agreed a Security and Defence Partnership. Canada became the first and, to date, the only non-EU country to be granted access to defence procurement under the €150 billion SAFE programme. Ottawa has also begun to look to Europe for major defence-procurement projects, most recently with its preliminary decision …read more
Source:: German Institute for International and Security Affairs
