Canada and EU unveil new alliance, opening door to like-minded countries

On June 13, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new alliance of like-minded countries called the Alliance for the Future, aimed at creating a "protective roof" for citizens and a bulwark against geopolitical uncertainty, while welcoming other nations to join.

Speaking to reporters in Montreal, Carney and von der Leyen stressed that the deepest possible partnership between Canada and the 27-member bloc has the potential to deliver unprecedented stability and opportunity. The Canadian prime minister described a world shaken by new storms, including the effects of the climate crisis, the erosion of democratic norms and the weaponization of trade.

At the close of the two-day summit, Canada pledged to contribute to a 90 billion euro loan package for Ukraine. The leaders also said future discussions would aim toward a more integrated market worth tens of billions of dollars, reducing barriers to trade and travel and opening new educational opportunities for both sides.

Amid an ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States, Carney is seeking new geopolitical partners. Overreliance on American companies, particularly in defense, has also made Canada wary. Last week, Elon Musk's throttling of Starlink and Starshield service in Ukraine severely disrupted that country's military and defense operations. Carney has repeatedly voiced concern that Canada's defense technology could be dominated by political actors or companies with opposing interests.

The Canadian prime minister also cited the planned merger between Canadian artificial intelligence company Cohere Inc and Germany's Aleph Alpha GmbH as a step toward reducing dependence on US AI giants. The new company will have dual headquarters in Berlin and Toronto, and Canada's federal government has announced an investment of up to 1.6 billion Canadian dollars in Cohere. Carney declared: "We are not waiting for the future of AI to be decided elsewhere by people we don't know or trust."

Brussels and Ottawa also announced an agreement to bring Canada into Europe's supercomputer network, giving Canada access to European machines to train AI models.

Beyond broad commitments to reshaping the global order and creating a safe harbor for like-minded countries, the Canadian and EU leaders also presented this deeper relationship as an answer to people's main concerns, including the cost of living. Von der Leyen said: "When trade becomes a tool of economic pressure, it is families who pay the price, from supermarket shelves to the cost of a new car," noting that suppliers of energy, critical minerals or semiconductors once trusted "are increasingly being turned into instruments of pressure."

Carney added: "More competition, more choice," arguing the alliance could seek to build certainty around supply chains and "weather shocks together."

The leaders once again raised the prospect of Canada becoming an associate member. Von der Leyen said this is unprecedented territory and stressed: "We have the ambition, the belief and the creativity to shape it together. This is a partnership that is not against anyone, but for our shared strength." However, the clearer scope of the role will be discussed at the 2027 summit. Some EU members have opposed the idea of giving Canada a title with no legal meaning, fearing it would confuse countries seeking membership. Germany and other countries lobbied to remove the phrase from the draft joint declaration.

European Council President Antonio Costa previously remarked that Canada is "by far the most European of the non-European countries," reflecting confidence in a shared sense of values despite geographical distance. Costa said the two sides would pursue "the closest, deepest and strongest bond ever between the EU and a non-European country."

The summit itself, however, caused tension in Quebec province, where the separatist Parti Québécois has just won a minority government. Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon skipped the event after Ottawa refused to let him speak publicly. He wrote on social media: "The federal government wants us to believe that the premier of Quebec being allowed to serve shrimp cocktails at a reception is a form of acceptable influence and enough to represent Quebec's interests," arguing that the invitation to sit at the table was a demand for Quebec to "fall back into line, accept dependence and invisibility, in exchange for a better seat from which to watch the party."