EUROPHILE Canadians want to join the EU according to a poll that showed nearly half the country support joining the bureaucratic bloc.
But Brussels hit back at the idea, stating that although they were “flattered” by the prospect of Canada joining, the EU rule of only allowing European nations to join still stood.
RexMark Carney, newly elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, rallied Canadians together against Trump’s threats in a victory speech[/caption]
APPeople participate in a rally in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty[/caption]
APA poll showed that nearly half of Canadians express support to join the European Union[/caption]
SWNSTrump has repeatedly made remarks about making Canada the 51st U.S. state[/caption]
It comes as President Trump threatened to make Canada the “51st U.S. state” and blitzed his North American neighbour with tariffs, sparking a trade war between the two.
The survey by Abacus Data in late February of 1,500 Canadians showed that 44 per cent of them believe their country should become the EU’s 28th member, while only 34 per cent opposed the idea.
Additionally, 46 per cent showed “general support” for joining the bloc.
Blushing EU spokesperson Paula Pinho said: “We are honoured with the results of such a poll. It shows the attractiveness of the European Union, and it shows the appreciation of a very large share of Canadian citizens for the EU and its values.”
But she added that she “will not go into” a possible EU application from Ottawa.
She doubled down after a reporter’s follow-up question on the EU, citing Article 49 of the Treaty on the European Union, which states that only European states can apply for EU membership.
Despite Canada sharing the main EU languages, English and French, the country is still out of reach from the bloc, courtesy of the Atlantic.
Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, even though it is located in West Asia.
But attempts to join the bloc from Morocco in 1987 were thwarted on the basis that the African country could not be considered European.
The poll also found that 68 per cent of the respondents viewed the EU in a positive light – which is twice the 34 per cent who saw the U.S. positively.
Although most recognise that the U.S. will remain their most crucial partner, many Canadians showed that there is a gradual increase in support for making the EU their primary global ally in the next few years.
The threat of tariffs on Canada has also squeezed them closer to the EU who are also falling victim to the same threats.
The EU was threatened with 200 per cent tariffs today, as a “retaliation” for the bloc imposing “nasty” 50 per cent tariffs on American Whiskey.
Angry Trump responded on his app Truth Social: “The European Union, one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States, has just put a nasty 50% Tariff on Whisky.
“If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES.”
He added: “This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.”
Canada has a free-trade agreement with the EU already, which is its second-largest export destination after the United States.
Will Canada ever really become the 51st state?
Trump has repeatedly made claims in real life and online that Canada could become the “51st U.S. state”, creating greater hostility from Canadians towards him.
The President took a jab at the former Canadian leader Justin Trudeau in December, in a social media post where he called him the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada”.
According to The New York Times, in a call between Trudeau and Trump, the Don said he “did not believe that the treaty that demarcates the border between the two countries was valid”, and that he wanted to “revise” the boundary.
The border treaty was established in 1908 and confirmed the international border between Canada, then a British dominion, and the United States.
In the call, Trump also mentioned revisiting the sharing of lakes and rivers between the two countries – a subject he has brought up before in the past.
Before Trump’s inauguration, the President claimed that we planned to use “economic force” to bring Canada “to its knees”.
The Financial Times reported that White House discussions have taken place about removing Canada from the crucial intelligence alliance Five Eyes, which also includes the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Canada’s soon to be Prime Minister Mark Carney has used this growing resentment of Trump’s statements about Canada to rally his country together.
During his acceptance speech, former Bank of England governor and Prime Minister-to-be Mark Carney chose to rally his population together against President Donald Trump‘s policies.
The 59-year-old defiantly said: “Donald Trump thinks he can weaken us with his plan to divide and conquer.
“Pierre Poilievre will leave us divided and ready to be conquered because a person who worships at the altar of Donald Trump will kneel before him, not stand up to him.”
This comes after Canadians were left outraged by provincial parks in Canada being recently mislabelled as “state parks” on Google Maps, in a taunting hint at a take-over.
APCanadians have rallied together against Trump’s repeated threats relating to their sovereignty and tariffs[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
