The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, says the EU is opening the door for Canada to become the bloc’s first associate member. The proposal is linked to discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the EU president’s State of the Union address in Strasbourg.

Several outlets report that von der Leyen frames the move as part of a broader effort to deepen EU-Canada cooperation, citing shared democratic values and the need to respond to an increasingly hostile or volatile global environment. BBC reports that a Canadian minister tells it the UK should “team up” with Canada in a new Europe alliance, reflecting interest in closer European alignment.

The Guardian adds context that recent US policy pressures, including tariffs and repeated talk about making Canada the 51st state, are pushing Canada to seek stronger economic and security ties with Europe. Other coverage focuses more narrowly on the EU’s “associate member” offer and the idea of Canada being first, without emphasizing the tariff-and-statehood angle.