Thread

Canada welcomes EU proposal to become 'associate member'

284 points · 354 comments · witweb

philippemnoel · 1789655073 · focus · HN ↗
As a Canadian, I find this unbelievably good news. Canada, the EU, and other middle powers need to unite. Stronger together, while preserving what makes each country unique.
1. orochimaaru · 1789655424 · focus · HN ↗
  Are there any tangible economic benefits here? Or is it just a label?
  1. arecurrence · 1789655591 · focus · HN ↗
    Carney's speech is here <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Y9eFJFZfo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Y9eFJFZfo
    The text of the speech is at <a href="https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/speeches/2026/09/17/prime-minister-carney-delivers-address-european-parliament" rel="nofollow">https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/speeches/2026/09/17/prime-minis...
    The wording is such that it sounds like he is pushing a very ambitious portfolio. It appears that the idea is to make this a model for a new alliance that will include other countries over time.
    The other deals Canada has made with the EU have been very substantive. CETA was the first major trade deal that the EU passed.
    noir_lord · 1789657390 · focus · HN ↗
    > build more secure broadband connections between Europe and Asia via our common geography.
    That made me do a double take and then rewind (I watched the full speech in the background), that's a fairly seismic shift if followed through and will reshape the internet over the next few decades (go look at a current fibre map for global internet links, they pretty much all route through the US and land in the UK), having an alternative path through Canada into the UK/Europe is a big change.
    pjc50 · 1789657677 · focus · HN ↗
    Interesting from a surveillance point of view. Are we going to end up with the Four Eyes?
    noir_lord · 1789658294 · focus · HN ↗
    I do wonder how much of that still applies anyway, the extremely cosy/informal relationship between the five members can't really work in a world where one member is threatening to annexe the territory of one and support the annexation of another.
    Trump wading into the Falklands debate was catastrophically stupid (not that I would expect otherwise) and chopped the legs out from the people who'd support him/their style of politics here.
    So was threatening Canada, that's how he ended up dealing with Carney which from his PoV was the much worse outcome.
    pjc50 · 1789673193 · focus · HN ↗
    I suspect that the various staff of the permanent ("deep") state who roll their eyes at democratic accountability are just continuing to do their own thing together. Especially as they tend to have conservative politics and the same personal list of friend and enemy countries that is not easily updated.
    noir_lord · 1789680145 · focus · HN ↗
    Probably, even if the instruction comes down from on high to not co-operate so much institutional inertia (and decades of working together) will keep it going for a while, likely til the senior folks retire.

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