Half-joking comments about Canada joining the bloc have become common as Ottawa adapts to its fraying relationship with the United States.
France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot has floated the idea that Canada could one day join the European Union, using the transatlantic ally as a striking example of the bloc’s global appeal.
Speaking at the Europe 2026 conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, Barrot argued that the EU is increasingly attracting partners far beyond its borders as geopolitical tensions soar.
Barrot’s Canada remark was not presented as a concrete policy proposal, but rather as part of a broader argument that the EU is emerging as a “third superpower” capable of balancing the rivalry between the United States and China.
Joining EU would be fairly simple way to achieve deeper economic cooperation and stronger alliance. Joining EU really hard to reverse (look at UK) so it guarantees long and stable relationship that businesses like.
What are the downsides?
Joining the EU is a committment. It is not only an economic free trade area, it is a political union. It also means “pooling sovereignty”, see it as something halfway to a proper federation. I am not saying that this is out of question regarding Canada but I doubt that either Canada or the EU are really aspiring that.
The way I see it EU requires (at least in theory) certain level of rule of law, independent justice system, anti-corruption measures and so on. Once country fulfills those requirements and joins the Union EU institutions have tools to make sure member countries keep adhering to those standards. I think Canadian institutions are at a level that would allow them to join EU and I don’t see how EU making sure that Canada stays a healthy democracy would be bad for them. I don’t see any conflict of interest here. Politically and economically Canada and EU have many common goals. I think both would benefit. Then again, I’m not that familiar with internal politics in Canada. Is there anything where Canada and EU would clash and being together in the common market would be a problem for either side?
It is not about that though. Joining the EU means joining in common political institutions, accepting that EU law is above national law, that decisions on EU law are made together in common political instiutitons. It also means that one can be outvoted by others and still be bound by the result. Most areas (major exceptions being defense and foreign policy) of policy making in the EU are nowadays majority decisions with individual member states having no veto power on their own. Joining the EU is not joining some free trade zone or even some defense alliance, it is half way to joining another country (with the key difference that one can indeed leave anytime again).
It is not so much that Canada and the EU would have that many conflict points it. It is again, the level of commitment. Just because you are best buddies, doesn’t mean that sharing the same bedroom is the next logical step. Unless you are serious about that of course.