Could Canada join the European Union instead of becoming a US state?
What if, instead of becoming the 51st state as President Donald Trump proposed, Canada sought to become the 28th member of the European Union?
The past few weeks have resulted in a significant rift in U.S.-Canada relations. Donald Trump labeled American imports of Canadian goods as an "unnecessary subsidy," ridiculing the "artificial" border between the two countries and insisting that Canada would be better off as a U.S. state. Trump threatened, imposed, and, in some cases, rescinded punitive tariffs on Canadian goods, provoking hesitant retaliatory measures from his northern neighbor.
As a result, some Canadians, including politicians, are openly discussing the possibility of joining the European Union.
It is hardly surprising that many Canadians are excited about the prospect of strengthening ties with Europe. A recent survey found that a significant number of Canadians would support EU membership—regularly derided by the American right for its rules and regulations—if Ottawa had the option to join the EU.
However, some analysts argue that defining a European nation is not straightforward, although the EU rejected Morocco’s application for membership decades ago, claiming it was not a "European state." Canadian and European officials, however, repeatedly highlight the "shared values" that connect them across the Atlantic.
This has certainly been the case in recent weeks after Trump initiated trade wars with both Canada and Europe. Last Thursday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas posed together, stating that Europe supports Canada. Earlier in the week, Paula Pinho, spokesperson for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed the news of public Canadian support for EU membership.
In a Thursday social media post, Trump threatened new tariffs on European alcohol, stating that the European Union was "created with the sole purpose of exploiting the United States."
Later that day, while standing next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump reiterated his calls for the U.S. to take control of Greenland. He mocked Denmark’s claim to the territory, asking, “Did a boat land there 200 years ago or something?” and jokingly suggested to the NATO chief that he would prefer to involve NATO in an attempt to seize the Arctic territory. Greenlanders, who recently held their own parliamentary elections, do not wish to join the United States.
However, the idea of joining the EU is not as implausible as it may seem. As Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair pointed out, Canada and Europe technically share a land border—albeit on an uninhabited Arctic island adjacent to Greenland, which is administered by Denmark.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
