“Canada would then have to put the customs border between itself and the U.S. and apply EU tariffs and regulations on imports from the U.S. … It would be incredibly economically destructive. It would outweigh any benefits that it might expect to get from the [EU] membership over many, many years,”
With what Trump’s been doing with the tariffs, the above statement may not be true for much longer. It may well be cheaper to ship to Rotterdam than to Rochester.
They could get special status with the EU without outright joining, like Greenland.
Greenland is kind of a special case for everything, to the point where maps usually just grey it out to avoid the complexities. I’d go for Norway or Switzerland as your example, because they’re definitively countries and definitively not in the EU proper.
I think the EU and newspapers should focus on the realistic and useful e.g kicking Hungary out of the EU, strengthening EU bonds, making life across the EU as pleasant as possible, and rooting out anti-democrats.
Canada in the EU, while a nice thought experiment, is a detraction from much more important topics. If Canada had a free trade agreement with EU and free movement of its citizens, that would be an amazing start. Wouldn’t mind being able to just move to Canada and find a job there without having to pay thousands for a VISA first.
Edit:
Finally, green-lighting Canada’s EU membership could frustrate some countries, such as Turkey, which have been queueing up for, literally, decades.
Lol, Turkey has a quasi-dicatator at the helm. They’d need fair and free elections first. Even if Canada hypothetically joined the EU, who cares what Turkey thinks? If they can’t and won’t fulfil conditions for joining, too bad for them.
Since the EU has been trying to get rid of Hungary for years and years, I’m not sure how realistic that is. They’re safe as long as one other country supports them, unless there’s a reboot of the whole project.
Canada in the EU, while a nice thought experiment, is a detraction from much more important topics. If Canada had a free trade agreement with EU and free movement of its citizens, that would be an amazing start. Wouldn’t mind being able to just move to Canada and find a job there without having to pay thousands for a VISA first.
I’ve never understood why they’re framed as mutually exclusive. There’s many forms of integration. EU membership is just the highest one, and the only one that would be procedurally hard.
We do have a free trade agreement (CETA), it just isn’t fully ratified by each European country yet and so is acting provisionally. Joining the Schengen would be politically hard here because it’d mean more barriers with the US, which I think is mentioned. Likewise, a defence agreement would be hard for the EU because Canada has little to militarily offer.
Lol, Turkey has a quasi-dicatator at the helm. They’d need fair and free elections first. Even if Canada hypothetically joined the EU, who cares what Turkey thinks? If they can’t and won’t fulfil conditions for joining, too bad for them.
Some of the other EU applicants are better examples. That being said, the other Europeans I’ve talked to about this didn’t seem too concerned about angering them, either.
Why does Canada as the larger partner not simply eat the EU?
Because it lacks the ability to digest a Union with over 14 times its population.
Like eating an entire pack of Mentos and then downing a gallon of coke.
That must be where the Canadian Arctic Archipelago came from. (Link for non-Canadians)
c/geopoliticalvore
Putin is a moderator.
If Donald Trump hangs on to power in 2028 and officially becomes dictator for life, maybe.
I mean as the requirements is now yes it’s impossible since Canada is not part of Europe by any stretch of the imagination. But since Europe is a man made concept since Asia and Europe are on the same continent letting in counties that are on Eurasia seems easier allowing a North American country in would require some stretching.
I mean as the requirements is now yes it’s impossible since Canada is not part of Europe by any stretch of the imagination.
I assume the article mentions that that’s not true. They already have a member totally outside of Europe (Cyprus).
But since Europe is a man made concept since Asia and Europe are on the same continent letting in counties that are on Eurasia seems easier allowing a North American country in would require some stretching.
That part is accurate, though.
I have a feeling once we’re already integrated in every way that matters we’d have a much stronger argument for official membership, so that’s where we need to go anyway.
Canada shares a border with Denmark now through an island in the atlantic they split in half. Borders EU country, EU membership pls
We also share a maritime border with France!
