Montreal, Canada - Prime Minister Mark Carney called Canada "the most European of non-European countries" and said that he's pursuing unprecedented closeness with the bloc.
Carney made the comments, which saw him admit formal EU membership may be unlikely, ahead of a trip to Strasbourg this week, where he will become the first foreign head of government to attend a "State of the European Union" address.
He will then deliver his own speech to the European Parliament the following day, before making a stop in Liverpool to meet with new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham for the first time.
His visit is to the EU is "tremendous symbol," said Tobias Cremer, a European lawmaker from Germany and the main sponsor of a March resolution calling for stronger EU-Canada cooperation.
"Canada has many of the resources that Europe is very much short of, whether it's in terms of energy, whether it's rare earths, [or] raw minerals," Cremer told AFP.
Canada has been hit hard by President Donald Trump's trade war given its close economic integration and the US' increasingly aggressive treatment of its northern neighbor.
The EU has also been shaken by Trump's return to office and, like Canada, is seeking to "diversify and de-risk" its foreign relations, Cremer said.
Speculation about full EU membership for Canada has intensified during Trump's second term. Carney was asked on Thursday about the prospect of Canada joining the bloc and delivered what he termed as a "non-answer."
An April poll showed 57% of Canadians backed EU membership, but it's not clear whether Canada is even eligible.
Article 49 of the EU treaty states that only "a European state" committed to "human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law [and] respect for human rights" can join, but doesn't specify the geographical criteria for a European state.
Carney slammed over cooperation with the European Union
Carney's enthusiasm about Ottawa's relationship with Europe is not shared by his conservative counterpart, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, who launched a lengthy social media tirade slamming the prime minister.
"Mark Carney could not be more out of touch," Poilievre wrote on X. "This is not about diversifying trade: We have had tariff-free trade with Europe for over a decade."
"will European border policies apply in Canada, further overwhelming our immigration system while our youth can’t find homes?" he asked. "Will Canadian waitresses struggling with rent have to pay tax dollars to the bloated EU bureaucracy?"
"Will Canadian small businesses be buried under the red tape of Eurocrats that have never met a Canadian entrepreneur? All questions I’d ask in Parliament, but it is shuttered."
"We will NEVER be the 51st U.S. state. And we will NEVER be the 28th EU state. We are Canadians. This is our home, our freedom, our sovereignty, our people. Now and forever."