While US President Donald Trump is straining US-Canada relations with a series of sanctions and harsh statements on social media, Canadians have turned their eyes to the other side of the Atlantic.
According to Politico, a recent poll showed that 44% of Canads support the idea of joining the EU, compared to 34% who reject the idea.
How to define a European country? - the seemingly simple question is becoming the focus of an interesting debate. Professor Giselle Bosse, University of Maastricht (Netherlands), commented: being European does not necessarily have to be in European geography. It's a state of mind.
According to her, Canadians have a political and legal system originating from the European model, believe in the welfare state and have a large number of citizens with European blood. They are special Europeans, in many ways, Ms. Bosse emphasized.
Professor Frank Schimmelfennig from ETH Zurich University (Switland) goes even further: Canada is closer to European values and institutions than many current candidates. He mentioned a series of countries waiting to join the EU such as Ukraine, Moldova, or Türkiye, many of which are stagnant due to problems with democracy and rule of law.
However, not everyone is optimistic about the EU door for Canada. If we want to be serious, Canada must prove that it truly belongs to Europe, Professor Bosse warned. Many Central European countries have considered joining the EU as a "return to their homeland", while Canada has not made any similar statement.
Economic problems are also a major barrier. Ian Bond, Deputy Director of the European Reform Center, analyzed: becoming a member of the EU would force Canada to build a customs barrier with the US, applying import regulations and tariffs according to EU standards. It will be a serious economic shock, which will be difficult to compensate for with member benefits".
Not to mention, the decision to admit a new member requires absolute consensus from 27 EU countries, even having to hold a public consultation in some countries such as France. And as Mr. Bond humorously commented: Do you think French farmers will vote for free trade with Canada? They sometimes... burn rice warehouses to protest.
In fact, instead of dreaming of a 28-star flag, experts recommend that Canada focus on upgrading the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CETA) with the EU. This is a free trade agreement signed in 2016 but there is still much room to expand in investment, energy and defense.
New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seems to have chosen this path. During his first trip to France in March, he emphasized his desire to deepen economic and trade relations with Europe. However, he also accidentally gave up words, making many EU members... exclaim: Canada is the non-European country... with the most obvious European identity.
A statement that could be expensive, in both positive and negative terms, if Canada had truly submitted an application to join the EU one day.
