Von der Leyen is promoting “associated” EU membership for Canada

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is promoting “associated” EU membership for Canada. “We want to take the relationship with Canada to the highest possible level,” said von der Leyen in her State of the Union speech in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. She therefore wants to work together with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney "to ensure that Canada becomes the first associated member of the EU."

“In this new world, we urgently need to rethink our partnerships,” emphasized von der Leyen. "Some may think going it alone is the right answer," she said. "But that's not an option for us."

Canada, like the EU, is suffering from the unpredictable trade and foreign policy of the USA under President Donald Trump. The US President recently intensified the trade dispute with Canada with new import bans and tariffs.

Von der Leyen for his own article 4

She also campaigned for a new European security mechanism. The EU Commission President wants to create an alarm mechanism that is independent of NATO for security crises below the threshold of an armed attack. "We need a mechanism analogous to Article 4 of the NATO Treaty," said the 67-year-old. Von der Leyen also announced a concept for a European Security Council.

Regarding her push for a European Article 4 mechanism, the German politician explained that it should provide for all member states to come together if one member state triggers it. A European response should then be coordinated together to deter further escalation and mitigate the effects.

»Our systems were made for a different world. They were shaped by well-intentioned attempts at consensus and compromise,” she added. There is an urgent need for a consensus on how to respond to certain incidents. These are incidents that do not constitute an armed attack but still clearly threaten national security.