Germany gets a vote on Canada's future. You don't.
Mark Carney is hosting the European Union in Montreal this week, but the "associate membership" he was selling got struck from the summit declaration before it started. Germany objected, so it's out. Nobody asked Canada's Parliament either way.
BECOME A MEMBER
Article by Rebel News staff.
Tonight on The Ezra Levant Show: Mark Carney is hosting the leaders of the European Union in Montreal, but the "associate membership" he championed was struck from the summit declaration after Germany objected, and Canada's Parliament was never asked either way.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa arrived in Montreal on Oct. 28 for two days of meetings. The Prime Minister's itinerary for Thursday included a business roundtable in the afternoon and a dinner in the evening, with the declaration to be signed the following day.
On Sept. 16, von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that she wanted to open the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the EU, a status no country has held. Carney addressed the European Parliament the next day. The proposal was not in the Liberal platform, a throne speech or any motion, and the House of Commons has not voted on it.
Dear @MarkJCarney we want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 16, 2026
I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the EU.
And create a common prosperity and economic security space. pic.twitter.com/GqIjGBz6aY
A spokesman for the German government said on the day of the offer that "we should reconsider the terminology." Politico Europe later reported that Germany led the pushback, joined by France and at least six other member states, including Italy and Belgium. One diplomat told the outlet, "We've definitely put the cart before the horse." Euronews reported that Greece also raised objections, and one diplomat said the concept "is not in the treaties."
The final text drops "associate member" and promises an "ever closer association," with details to be worked out by next year's summit. Asked about the change on Oct. 27, Carney said it did not matter about specific names or nomenclature.
The Treaty on European Union commits members to "an ever closer union," the same phrase now echoed in the Canada declaration. Under Article 3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, Brussels alone controls trade policy, the customs union, fisheries conservation and competition rules, so a member state cannot sign its own trade deal or set its own tariffs. Council decisions require a qualified majority of 55 per cent of member states representing 65 per cent of the population. Germany has about 83 million of the EU's 452 million people, and together with France and Italy accounts for nearly half.
Norway, which is tied to the EU through the European Economic Area rather than membership, shows what association looks like in practice. A 2012 Norwegian government review, NOU 2012:2, found the country "in practice bound to adopt EU policies and rules in a broad range of issues" without a vote on them. Switzerland ended talks on a framework agreement with Brussels in 2021 over disputes involving wages and the role of EU courts.
Disputes under the USMCA, Canada's trade pact with the United States and Mexico, go to a panel rather than a court above Parliament, either country can withdraw on six months' written notice, and the agreement runs 16 years with periodic reviews.
The IMF forecasts growth of 1.1 per cent for the euro area this year, against 2.3 per cent for the United States. Germany's economy shrank in 2023 and 2024 and grew 0.2 per cent last year, and Volkswagen plans to cut more than 35,000 jobs in Germany by 2030. Former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi, commissioned by the EU to study its competitiveness, warned of a "slow agony."
None of the world's 10 most valuable companies is European. According to the Stanford AI Index, American investors put about US$286 billion into artificial intelligence last year, compared with about $21 billion across Europe.
In December, Brussels fined X 120 million euros, the first penalty under its Digital Services Act. Meta withheld AI models from the EU over regulatory uncertainty, and Apple held back AI features there. This year the EU passed a Digital Omnibus law that pushes major AI Act obligations from August 2026 to December 2027, and some to 2028.
According to Reuters, the summit declaration commits Canada to align its AI and digital rules with Europe's. Ottawa rescinded its own digital services tax last year after Donald Trump called it "a direct and blatant attack."
The United States buys 72.5 per cent of Canada's merchandise exports, while the EU accounts for 8.6 per cent of Canadian trade, according to Global Affairs Canada. Trump called the associate membership idea "laughable" and threatened heavy tariffs on Europe. Canada's trade talks with Washington collapsed in August, and the United States declined to extend the USMCA at its July 1 review.
Quebec's Parti Québécois government says it was refused a speaking role at a summit held in its own province. Carney said the Premier was invited to the dinner and left an empty chair.
Associate status would bring no commissioner, no seat and no vote, only the obligation to follow rules written elsewhere. A petition at NoToTheEU.com calls for Parliament to vote before any such agreement is signed.
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