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France 24
France 24
Politics
FRANCE 24

EU chief invites Canada to be first-ever ‘associate member’

Cover image: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on September 16, 2026. © Justin Tang, The Canadian Press via AP

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the possibility on Wednesday that Canada could become the European Union’s first “associate member” during the annual State of the European Union speech, at which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was present. Carney has been pursuing closer ties with the EU as both seek to pivot away from the US.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the prospect Wednesday of Canada becoming the 27-nation bloc's first "associate member", as she pitched closer cooperation on tech, defence and energy to Canadian leader Mark Carney.

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