France expresses support for Canadian bid for EU associate membership

French President Emmanuel Macron voiced support on Sunday for an official Canadian alliance with the European Union while visiting the French territory of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, near Canada’s Newfoundland. Canada, France, and the EU shared a strong belief in democracy and respect for international law, along with free and fair trade, Macron said.

Macron also met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his Sunday visit. The meeting marked a new stage of alliance between France and Canada, with a resolved ambition to build joint projects, Macron said. Both leaders planned to issue mandates to their respective governments to draft new collaborative initiatives between the two countries, the president continued. Carney echoed Macron’s message while addressing reporters on Sunday, underscoring the joint desire to deepen Canada’s alliance with France and the larger European bloc.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made headlines last week for proposing that Canada join the European bloc as an “associate member,” a new membership class. The EU’s offer came after months of sparring between Canada and the Trump administration over tariffs and trade policies. President Donald Trump has also raised Canadian ire by repeatedly calling for the country to become America’s 51st state.

What kind of collaboration did Macron and Carney discuss? The pair discussed possibilities for deepening the Canadian-French alliance. Both leaders directed their space and defense ministries to develop and share common space infrastructure, like launch systems and control infrastructure, according to Carney’s office. The pair also named aerospace, defense, and wildfire management as areas where they could increase collaboration. Additionally, the leaders aimed to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, specifically by deepening business ties and diversifying trade, the statement said.

The topic of energy also came up, specifically concerns about how international conflicts would impact Europe’s energy supply. Canada intended to accelerate its plan to unlock the full potential of clean energy, with both countries planning to strengthen overall cooperation around energy security. Canada and France agreed that collaboration on artificial intelligence was essential, Carney’s office noted. Carney and Macron planned to remain in close contact and resume their discussions at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City.