Canadians supportive of closer ties to Europe amid U.S. tension
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s effort to formalize a deeper relationship with Europe is broadly supported by Canadians, who have grown increasingly disillusioned with the United States as their government faces hostility from President Donald Trump.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday that Canada become the first associate member of the European Union , an arrangement that has yet to be defined.
Carney has pursued closer ties with Europe since becoming prime minister last year as part of his agenda to diversify Canada’s trading relationships away from the U.S. and deepen other alliances. That agenda is broadly supported by Canadians, even as some businesses grow anxious about the lack of trade resolution with the U.S.
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A recent Abacus Data survey found 80 per cent of Canadians support closer integration with the EU on issues such as foreign policy, defence and economic opportunities, up six percentage points since February. Support for full EU membership is weaker, with 49 per cent of saying they’re in favour of it.
More than half of respondents said Canada has more in common with countries in the EU than the U.S., while only 16 per cent said the opposite.
David Coletto, chief executive of Abacus, said the desire to deepen ties with Europe is driven by both push and pull factors.
“I think Canadians have come to the conclusion that we need to look for other partners and other relationships given that ours with the United States has, for some, completely ruptured and may never go back to the way it was,” Coletto said, adding that Canadians also feel an affinity toward Europe.
“If there’s any other part of the world where they’ll feel comfortable with a deeper relationship, I think it’s in Europe.”
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