this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2026
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Half-joking comments about Canada joining the bloc have become common as Ottawa adapts to its fraying relationship with the United States.

France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot has floated the idea that Canada could one day join the European Union, using the transatlantic ally as a striking example of the bloc’s global appeal.

Speaking at the Europe 2026 conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, Barrot argued that the EU is increasingly attracting partners far beyond its borders as geopolitical tensions soar.

Barrot’s Canada remark was not presented as a concrete policy proposal, but rather as part of a broader argument that the EU is emerging as a “third superpower” capable of balancing the rivalry between the United States and China.

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[–] HeroicBillyBishop@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 hours ago

....also the "striking appeal' of Canada

nice to be the belle of the ball

[–] blinfabian@feddit.nl 16 points 7 hours ago (1 children)
[–] tb_@lemmy.world 9 points 6 hours ago (1 children)
[–] blinfabian@feddit.nl 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

bro erased england but kept russia and belarus 💀

[–] tb_@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

I... didn't really pay attention to that part to be honest.

[–] Tja@programming.dev 12 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Joining the EU might be suboptimal (and unrealistic), but some kind of trade agreement would be awesome.

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 2 points 19 minutes ago

Yeah, that's a great idea. They should call it something like the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement.

[–] m4xie@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Tja@programming.dev 5 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Since we are both in the northern part of the Atlantic... we could name it after that?

[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago

The Gulf of European Union?

[–] AmazingSUPERG@thelemmy.club 10 points 7 hours ago

Canada does have a land border with Denmark with Hans Island, so it is joined to Europe.

[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 32 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Otherwise known as please Canada bring your production capacity to Europe since we’re both getting divorced from the US

[–] Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 31 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Increasing trade between the EU and Canada just makes perfect sense, with or without full membership. They bring the raw resources, we bring the equipment to extract those raw resources. It's a pretty sweet deal for both parties.

[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

It absolutely is, If I was Ursula I’d have a second home in Ottawa.

[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 8 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

I’m not Ursula buy I’d like a second home in British Columbia.

[–] Tm12@lemmy.ca 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I’m just looking to afford a first home.

[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 6 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Decathlon has some nice tents

[–] msage@programming.dev 1 points 26 minutes ago

I've never been so offended by something I 100% agree with.

[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

I’m with you on that

[–] jefferyjefferson@lemmy.org 13 points 9 hours ago

This would be one of the greatest decisions Canada and the EU make.

Here's hoping they go through with it and really give the US a run for their money!

[–] Smoogs@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

Yes they've been trying. I believe Denmark was the hold out. Which is weird stance considering Greenland's situation. And the trade route like right there. Honestly don't really understand why all of EU aren't jumping on this as hard as the US is.

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

I can't find anything about Denmark not wanting Canada in the EU

however, according to the treaty. A country needs to actually be european to apply for membership according to the text:

"Any European State which respects the principles set out in Article 6(1) may apply to become a member of the Union."

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

If you consult the full text of the treaty, what you'll notice is that "European state" is not defined anywhere in the treaty. In fact, that quote you posted is literally the only instance of the term in the 55 consolidated articles. Even the "Copenhagen Criteria" which lay out the explicit requirements for membership just gesture back at article 49 again. It's basically the only use of that term anywhere in the written law on the subject, at least that I can find.

Outside of the text of the treaty, there aren't really any commonly accepted legal definitions of a "European state." Most legal definitions that do exist define it a member of the EU, which is obviously completely circular if you try to use that as a definition of entry criteria; "You're allowed in if you're already in." Geographic definitions don't work because they've always been fuzzy. Is Turkey part of Europe or part of "The Middle East"? Is the "The Middle East" part of Europe, Africa, Asia....? Russia is either a European country or an Asian country depending on what day of the week it is. Parts of the EU extend onto the African continent. Cyprus is an EU member and they're off the coast of Syria. And given that Canada shares both land and sea borders with EU states (which is actually more than some other EU members can claim), they've got all the leeway in the world to decide we qualify if they want to. It basically just comes down to "You're European if we say you are."

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Also, Canada's king is the same as the UK's, and that's definitely European.

[–] SMillerNL@piefed.social 1 points 37 minutes ago

Not if you ask them it isn’t 😅

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 19 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

It would be increadibly funny to make the US/CA border full of EU flags.

Trump would go even more insane.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Let's all wear berets and carry baguettes and laugh like this: "hwar, hwar, hwar".

[–] FreddiesLantern@leminal.space 4 points 6 hours ago

Hon-hon-hon!

[–] kandoh@reddthat.com 3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Would love the freedom of movement but we'd need to keep the loonie.

[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Just stamp a line of €1 coins with the bird on them, every EU member gets their own coin.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Uh...messy divorce, then Canada in 15 years: fuck you Brussels, you're not my real dad!

[–] absquatulate@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (2 children)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-eu-partnership-deepening-ties-1.7570680

Carney already said no pretty clearly, so I'm not sure why this guy "floats the idea" again.

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 9 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Carney is just the current PM. Let's see what the public thinks and if any party will put this in their program.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 hours ago

Canada has become a two party system, so the choice is PM Carney or Governor Poilievre.

[–] bufalo1973@piefed.social 2 points 9 hours ago

You don't go in (or out) of the Union in a whim. It takes years. So Carney won't be the PM if this happens.