Brussels – Europe and the Arabs

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose "exorbitant tariffs" should the European Union accept Canada as an associate member, warning that he might view the bold offer extended to Ottawa by Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday as a "hostile act."
Speaking off-the-cuff to reporters at an airport in North Carolina, Trump dismissed the idea of ​​Canada integrating with the European bloc as "ridiculous," adding: "If I deem it a hostile act in any way, I will impose very strict tariffs or halt trade with Europe in many areas." This was reported by *Playbook Brussels*—the European edition of the US publication *Politico*—which further noted:
The growing relationship between the EU and Canada was already facing complications before Donald Trump unexpectedly intervened and upended the situation.
Initially, there was debate and anticipation regarding whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would attend Prime Minister Mark Carney’s address to the European Parliament today.
Then came yesterday’s bombshell: Von der Leyen’s proposal for Canada to become an "associate member" of the EU. Notably, the draft speech obtained by *Politico* prior to her taking the podium contained no mention of Canada; a diplomat confirmed that the version circulated to European capitals was similarly devoid of such a reference.
It appears that no one is entirely certain what the term "associate member" of the EU actually entails, given that such a status does not currently exist. Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra remarked outside the parliamentary chamber, "We are entering *terra nova*"—a phrase that might have been a joke about Canada, given that "Terra Nova" is the historical name for the province of Newfoundland. "We are entering the unknown," Hoekstra added.
Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera acknowledged that the move to include Canada was primarily a statement of intent, though she described the idea as "exciting and very interesting." However, MEP and EU law professor René Repasi stated that implementing this "properly" would require treaty amendments. He suggested a more realistic path that might resemble the "European Economic Area" model. (Sorry, Britain: associate membership is not on the table in any post-Brexit arrangements.)
Yet, the trickiest aspect is that the idea had not been presented to European capitals beforehand; indeed, Ottawa itself appears to be distancing itself from the "associate member" label, according to a report by Sebastian Starcevic and Max Griera. Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s incoming ambassador to the EU, told reporters in Strasbourg when asked about associate membership: "We aren't there yet; our focus is really on delivering concrete results."
"Middle Powers": In her speech, von der Leyen also floated the idea of ​​establishing a "European Security Council" bringing together leaders from Canada, the UK, Norway, and Ukraine. This proposal is an extension of Carney’s famous Davos speech, in which he called on the world’s "middle powers" to join forces against authoritarian regimes.
However, this European Security Council would operate outside the framework of NATO, potentially creating friction with the military alliance.
Anticipating Carney’s speech: Von der Leyen’s address yesterday was reassuring in tone—emphasizing that AI would not replace doctors, that housing is a guaranteed right, and that Europe is less vulnerable to another energy crisis—yet it lacked the spark or impact needed to truly resonate. Those spoken to by *Playbook* in Strasbourg generally agreed that the speech fell somewhat flat. In contrast, expectations for Carney’s speech today are high; indeed, a Member of the European Parliament—belonging to the same political family as von der Leyen—remarked that Carney’s address could make the Commission President’s lackluster performance appear even worse.