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submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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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[-] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 49 points 1 month ago

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

[-] Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 45 points 1 month ago

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 8 points 1 month ago

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

[-] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 8 points 1 month ago

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

[-] Tm12@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 month ago

I’m just looking to afford a first home.

[-] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 11 points 1 month ago

Decathlon has some nice tents

[-] msage@programming.dev 4 points 1 month ago

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

[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 points 1 month ago

You could try Milo Alberta, they have an air raid siren that goes off every day for lunch (the place closes for lunch). But you would have to bring a house.... Lucky those are also cheap! But both the town and your new house will likely suck/be haunted.

[-] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

I’m with you on that

[-] blinfabian@feddit.nl 28 points 1 month ago
[-] tb_@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago
[-] blinfabian@feddit.nl 7 points 1 month ago

bro erased england but kept russia and belarus 💀

[-] tb_@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

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

[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 points 1 month ago

Well I am just assuming those areas fall to Ukraine in this future, and that they join the EU like Canada. Honestly makes more sense then say Albertan independence or an affordable housing market.

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[-] stoy@lemmy.zip 24 points 1 month ago

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

Trump would go even more insane.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 month ago

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

[-] FreddiesLantern@leminal.space 4 points 1 month ago

Hon-hon-hon!

[-] Tja@programming.dev 18 points 1 month ago

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

[-] m4xie@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago
[-] Tja@programming.dev 8 points 1 month ago

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

[-] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

The Gulf of European Union?

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[-] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago

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

[-] Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz 3 points 1 month ago

Nah, call it Further Uniting Common Key Trading, Respecting Unity & Managing Plonkers

[-] Tja@programming.dev 3 points 1 month ago
[-] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago

I would love it if it let me live/work in Shengen countries

[-] jefferyjefferson@lemmy.org 14 points 1 month 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!

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[-] AmazingSUPERG 13 points 1 month ago

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

[-] FoxtrotDeltaTango@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 month ago
[-] aquovie@lemmy.cafe 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

What's up with the UK in that image? Did they finally figure out Brexit was dumb?

Also, can you imagine looking at Brexit and thinking it's a better situation than this? WTF.

[-] Bergwookie@feddit.org 3 points 1 month ago

They join as a Canadian colony (ok, northern Ireland is part of Ireland once again)

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[-] HeroicBillyBishop@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago

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

nice to be the belle of the ball

[-] kandoh@reddthat.com 6 points 1 month ago

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

[-] Soggy@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

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

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[-] toad@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

I miss montreal

[-] Jiral@lemmy.org 4 points 1 month ago

It is a fact that they "could" join. There is nothing in the treaties excluding them if all member states really support that. That doesn't mean Canada should do that. A stronger aliance bereeen EU and Canada with deeper economic cooperation would likeky be the better option.

[-] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Joining EU would be fairly simple way to achieve deeper economic cooperation and stronger alliance. Joining EU really hard to reverse (look at UK) so it guarantees long and stable relationship that businesses like.

What are the downsides?

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[-] Smoogs@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

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 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

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 7 points 1 month ago

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 3 points 1 month ago

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

[-] SMillerNL@piefed.social 3 points 1 month ago

Not if you ask them it isn’t 😅

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this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2026
294 points (97.7% liked)

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