Thread

EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

693 points · 905 comments · hackernj

neom · 1789557380 · focus · HN ↗
No idea what this actually means, if it means easier trade, I'm all for anything that reduces our dependency on the yanks, as long as we don't need to be involved in their regulatory or legal regimes. The Americans are no longer our friends, Salut, mes amis Européens. :)
1. FabCH · 1789557897 · focus · HN ↗
  Carney was asking for freedom of movement of goods, people and services, but without full monetary and legislative integration.
  So, easier to sell stuff, easier to buy stuff, free to just travel to/from Canada/EU and work there with no extra paperwork, free to buy and sell service from Canada to EU and vice versa.
  No Euro, no vote in EU, no ECJ, no payments into each others budget.
  Tighter integration than UK, not as tight as Norway/Switzerland/Iceland.
  Common defense was already agreed anyhow.
  I can tell you this enjoys broad support in the EU public. Although, no joke, a lot of peoples first reaction is: "They need to compete in Eurovision first. Otherwise they should wait for Australia to join first."
  1. post-it · 1789558150 · focus · HN ↗
    Canada will be competing in Eurovision 2027 in May. :)
    SyneRyder · 1789559599 · focus · HN ↗
    Also, being a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) "Associate Member" is the name for the mechanism that allowed Australia, Canada and other countries to be admitted into Eurovision.
    If you've been around the ESC scene, you know there's a lot of embassy involvement (parties in embassies are a thing), the scene is catnip for those interested in politics, the politically active, and to some extent politicians. Eurovision is also one mechanism for discussions of economic development. Hosting the contest is usually an excuse for upgrades to public infrastructure.
    And there's Eurovision Asia starting in November. South Korea is an Associate Member of the EBU, for example.
    <a href="https://www.ebu.ch/news/2026/03/bangkok-to-host-first-ever-eurovision-song-contest-asia-in-2026" rel="nofollow">https://www.ebu.ch/news/2026/03/bangkok-to-host-first-ever-e...
    fidotron · 1789560490 · focus · HN ↗
    > If you've been around the ESC scene
    This is a euphemism on par with attending parties in parts of the SFO AI community.
    embedding-shape · 1789560634 · focus · HN ↗
    Having been around both, the ESC isn't nearly as drug-fueled as the other, for better or worse.
    pantalaimon · 1789562769 · focus · HN ↗
    Only if you don't count alcohol
    SyneRyder · 1789567845 · focus · HN ↗
    Ahh, that one time the Belarussian delegation tried importing so much alcohol into [host country] to give away for free to everyone at the artist party, that it was all seized at the [host country] border and caused a minor diplomatic incident. The free chocolate branded with the artist's face made it in though. Fun times.
    And that wasn't the year that Belarus sent "I Love Belarus" as their Eurovision song.
    SyneRyder · 1789568269 · focus · HN ↗
    lol, this took longer to land with me than it should have, being the token "not in the target demographic" guy. And now I know more than I wanted to know about the AI scene ;)
    rsynnott · 1789564871 · focus · HN ↗
    > Eurovision Asia
    _Terrible_ naming.
    SyneRyder · 1789567334 · focus · HN ↗
    You'd think so, and I intuitively agree.
    But the concept has floated around for over a decade under several different project names - Asiavision, Our Sound, ABU Song Contest. Somehow "Eurovision Asia" is the one that got countries to sign on and participate. There's a stronger political statement in Asian countries participating in "Eurovision" than in "Our Sound". It surprises me, but 2026 has brought a lot of global cultural & political shifts.
    The American version was "The American Song Contest", hosted by Snoop Dogg & Kelly Clarkson, with US states competing against each other. Most Americans don't even know it ever happened.
    Russia has its own rival "Intervision Song Contest", which the US participates in. Something something global cultural shifts.
    guiriduro · 1789560257 · focus · HN ↗
    [dead]
    mitxela · 1789561222 · focus · HN ↗
    So no France, Germany, Australia, or UK
    isgb · 1789561394 · focus · HN ↗
    [dead]

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