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Brussels was hit with a furious backlash today after announcing unprecedented plans for Canada to become an ‘associate member’ of the bloc - without asking EU capitals to sign off on the proposal.
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Canada → see → proposal
EU diplomats told the Mail they were kept in the dark and first learnt of the proposal when Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission boss, unveiled it during a keynote speech.
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Leyen → tell → speech
During the top Eurocrat's annual State of the Union speech to the European Parliament, she repeatedly love-bombed Canadian premier Mark Carney - who was in the chamber - saying Brussels wanted ‘to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible.’
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Brussels → bomb → level
But to the surprise of diplomats from the EU’s 27 member nations, who would have to sign off the move, she gushed: ‘Dear Mark, I said we must urgently reimagine our partnerships.
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we → have → partnerships
So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU.
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Canada → like → EU
‘We share one ocean, one set of values, one way of seeing the world.
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We → share → world
And we will now build our shared future as well – thank you for being here.
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we → build → you
But the attempt to flatter the former governor of the Bank of England backfired, with diplomats saying they were never briefed about the proposal and that, in effect, ‘associate membership’ doesn’t even exist.
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membership → flatter → effect
One EU diplomat told the Mail: ‘This bombastic announcement is just not right.
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announcement → tell → Mail
EU diplomats told the Mail they were kept in the dark and first learnt of the proposal when Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission boss, unveiled it during a keynote speech today
Mark Carney looked on as Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission boss, love-bombed him and his nation
Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission boss, said she wanted Canada to become an 'associate member' - but EU diplomats pointed out the category in effect doesn't exist
‘There will be a summit at the end of October, so logically they will talk about deepening the relations.
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they → tell → relations
‘But no one has ever seen an associate membership and no idea what it means in practice.
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it → see → practice
‘Canada is a valuable partner for the EU, one of the few currently in the world where we share the values, so it is nothing against Canada.
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it → share → Canada
‘But first and foremost the member states should be the ones to express what kind of relationship the EU wants to have with any third country.’
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EU → express → country
Another added: ‘She kept this bit of associate membership out of the text until the last moment.
‘She also did not mention it up front to EU member states.
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She → add → states
‘It seems like she is a bit too far out in floating this.
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she → seem → this
‘Everyone is positive about Canada, and wants to strengthen the relationship.
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Everyone → want → relationship
‘But there is a lot of uncertainty about what von der Leyen envisages by coining this label.’
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Leyen → be → label
They added that, in reality, the most that can likely be hoped for is a deeper trading relationship rather than ‘associate membership’, which implies Canada taking part in EU programmes, becoming more politically integrated and potentially even having a say over the bloc’s rules.
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Canada → add → rules
Under EU law, any granting of membership would have to be approved by the 27 member states, which is another reason they were wrong-footed.
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they → have → states
By contrast, Brussels has always rebuffed Britain for past attempts to ‘cherry pick’ the areas where it wants to align with the bloc while also diverging in other ways.
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it → rebuff → ways
In her speech, Ms von der Leyen added: ‘Mark, your presence here is a symbol of the enduring friendship between our people.
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presence → add → people
‘Our cultural, historical and personal links run deep within the fabric of our societies.
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links → run → societies
‘And thanks to CETA (a trade pact), our trade in goods has grown by 75 per cent in less than a decade.
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trade → grow → decade
‘This shows the power of our trade agreements.
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This → show → agreements
We see the world with the same eyes: from AI to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics.
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We → see → geopolitics
‘And we have stood together: on Ukraine, on defence, on raw materials and on supply chains.
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we → stand → chains
‘But above all, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy.’
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Europe → believe → democracy
Greek former politician Yanis Varoufakis blasted Ms von der Leyen on X, saying: ‘Has she lost the very last of her remaining marbles?
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she → blast → marbles
Ms von der Leyen offered Canada associate membership of the EU.
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Leyen → offer → EU
That would have been fine if it were not for a tiny little snag: there is no such thing as associate membership of the EU!’
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it → be → EU
The move threatens to further sour relations between Brussels and Washington, with US President Donald Trump's administration locked in an escalating trade war with Canada.
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administration → threaten → Canada
The Aporia
