Opening the EU door for Canada is a harmless gesture. But it won’t fix Europe’s security crisis

‘Carney’s presence in Strasbourg made the EU look more desirable globally than it sometimes appears to angry European electorates.’ Photograph: Canadian Press/Shutterstock

Ursula von der Leyen brought a new mascot to her annual State of the Union address to the European parliament: the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney.

The leader of a plucky, like-minded liberal democracy, locked in an unsought trade war with its much bigger bully of a neighbour, Carney crossed the Atlantic and attended this flagship event of Europe’s political calendar to demonstrate his country’s shared values and desire to get closer to the EU. He was rewarded with a standing ovation and the first ever offer of an (invented) status of “associate member” of the EU.