Canadians supportive of closer ties to Europe amid U.S. tension

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomeNewsEconomyCanadians supportive of closer ties to Europe amid U.S. tension'If there’s any other part of the world where they’ll feel comfortable with a deeper relationship, I think it’s in Europe'Author of the article:Nojoud Al Mallees and Laura OsmanMore than half of respondents to a recent poll said Canada has more in common with countries in the EU than the U.S., while only 16 per cent said the opposite. Photo by Jean-Christophe VERHAEGEN/AFP via Getty ImagesPrime Minister Mark Carney’s effort to formalize a deeper relationship with Europe is broadly supported by Canadians, who have grown increasingly disillusioned with the United States as their government faces hostility from President Donald Trump.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday that Canada become the first associate member of the European Union, an arrangement that has yet to be defined.Carney has pursued closer ties with Europe since becoming prime minister last year as part of his agenda to diversify Canada’s trading relationships away from the U.S. and deepen other alliances. That agenda is broadly supported by Canadians, even as some businesses grow anxious about the lack of trade resolution with the U.S.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againA recent Abacus Data survey found 80 per cent of Canadians support closer integration with the EU on issues such as foreign policy, defence and economic opportunities, up six percentage points since February. Support for full EU membership is weaker, with 49 per cent of saying they’re in favour of it.More than half of respondents said Canada has more in common with countries in the EU than the U.S., while only 16 per cent said the opposite.David Coletto, chief executive of Abacus, said the desire to deepen ties with Europe is driven by both push and pull factors.“I think Canadians have come to the conclusion that we need to look for other partners and other relationships given that ours with the United States has, for some, completely ruptured and may never go back to the way it was,” Coletto said, adding that Canadians also feel an affinity toward Europe.“If there’s any other part of the world where they’ll feel comfortable with a deeper relationship, I think it’s in Europe.”Meanwhile, the reaction to potentially formalizing a relationship with the EU has been less well-received by the Conservative Party, which is the main federal opposition party in Canada.“I do have concerns about any kind of a formal” relationship, or “something that’s closer to a membership of the European Union,” said Ginny Roth, who was the director of communications for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s leadership campaign. “And the reason for that primarily is that Europe is not doing so hot on the whole.”Roth said Europe’s poor management of immigration policy has led to populist uprisings across the bloc, while regulatory overreach has slowed down business and growth.Poilievre has criticized Carney for addressing the European Parliament prior to the Canadian Parliament this fall, and has rejected the idea of Canada becoming an outright member of the EU.“We will NEVER be the 51st U.S. state. And we will NEVER be the 28th EU state,” Poilievre wrote in a post on social media earlier this week.This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.“Conservatives are clear: we support the decades-old free trade and NATO defence alliance with Europe,” he said in a statement Wednesday. “But no EU taxes, no EU laws, and no EU open-border immigration policies should be imposed on Canadians. Canada must be independent and sovereign.”The euro-area economy grew at the strongest pace in more than a year in the second quarter, expanding by 0.4 per cent from the previous three months.Coletto said opposition to closer ties with the EU is concentrated among Conservative supporters, although he noted that even a majority of them have a positive impression of Europe and would be open to a deeper relationship.“There is a lot of skepticism, maybe some outright opposition to the idea of the EU and what it stands for, that makes it not very appealing,” he said. “But I think it’s still a niche view within the country and in large parts of the Conservative coalition, because even among many Conservatives, they recognize that Canada can’t go it alone and we’re only so big.”We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. 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