Strengthening the European Union-Canada relationship

These last few weeks the world has witnessed controversial attitudes from President Trump towards Canada – from annexing the country as a possible state to imposing tariffs. How can this be considered fair to America’s largest trading partner? Is it time that Canada and EU joined forces, a partnership to strengthen their common values? Mainly when we consider that the European Union and Canada have a free-trade agreement between them – CETA.

Trump is implementing tariffs on Canada and Mexico under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPPA) in an attempt to safeguard US national security. According to him, America “has been treated unfairly by trading partners, both friend and foe”. Unsurprisingly, Trump is levelling up, putting his country first, and consequently affecting Canada’s economy, which had started to grow.

In turn, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, under risk of seeing his country under repression has argued that Trump wants “a total collapse of the Canadian economy” since he thinks that will “make it easier to annex us”

However, the world is sensing we are navigating towards darker times. Trump and Putin seem to be working in tandem. As Ursula Von der Leyen rightly mentioned, referring to Trump’s drastic decision to pause their military help to Ukraine, “We are living in the most momentous and dangerous of times. I do not need to describe the grave nature of the threats that we face. Or the devastating consequences that we will have to endure if those threats would come to pass.”

European Movement Canada campaign

The European Movement feel it is time to campaign for a European Movement Canada. According to them, “the European Movement stands for democracy, peace, unity and solidarity, respect for human rights and the rule of law; the very values that Canadians and Europeans alike hold dear.”

Petro Fassoulas, secretary general of the European Movement International, has said:

“We are living through a global battle of values. What we are seeing coming out of Trump’s White House and the front line in Ukraine is an assault on democracy, fundamental rights, the rule of law and the very concept of cooperation and harmonious coexistence between states and their peoples.

“The European Movement was established in 1948 by Winston Churchill and other prominent European leaders to promote European unity as a way to defend peace, democracy and liberty against authoritarianism, nationalism and imperialism. That mission remains as important as ever, and we are keen to stand up for those values and stand by our friends and partners in Canada, as they strive to defend them against Trump’s assaults.”

Mike Galsworthy, Chair of European Movement UK and one of the directors of Bylines Network, commented:

“There is now a whole North Atlantic band from Norway to Iceland to Greenland to Canada which feels the threats of aggression and instability from both Putin and Trump. That band is also increasingly important geo-strategically. These countries have strong European histories, cultural bonds and values. We need to make sure we’re working as closely together as possible to protect their citizens, their economies and together sure up our shared values in an increasingly fraught world.

“The idea for a European Movement Canada came from a conversation between Petros and myself. We were discussing how to build allies for European values in North America. We quickly focused on the appetite being expressed in the press about Canada potentially joining the EU and certainly building closer trade links with the EU. For me, as a Brit looking at a Commonwealth nation under stress from Trump’s aggression, I felt deeply frustrated and wanted an initiative from the UK and the rest of Europe to reach out and help our friends over there. We then realised that from the structure of European Movement International, we did actually have sufficient capacity to build something that could very effectively serve that function.”

What Canadians are saying at Bylines Scotland

In our team from Bylines Scotland, we have some Canadians living in Scotland and in Canada. Ian Kinsey, our former editor-in-chief when we were launched, and now collaborative editor has to say:

“Scotland should become Canada’s 11th province, if the next Indyref fails. The health care is also universal, same monarchy, same parliamentary system of government, more provincial rights than Scotland has in the Union. Scots would be introduced to poutine, Timmy’s double-doubles, loonies and toonies, a mickey, two-four long weekends, and toque. Imagine the tourism and economic growth in both directions.

“Canada already has bagpipes, kilts, strong Scottish ties with about five million Canadians claiming Scottish ancestry. The first two prime ministers of Canada were from Scotland, and a Scot from Falkirk, Tommy Douglas, introduced universal healthcare to Canada and was named in a national poll as the Greatest Canadian.”

Another editor, Leah Brown, MLIS, an information scientist in Canada commented:

“Despite the chaos happening to research in the US, I see this as an opportunity for Canada to renew and extend partnerships with our colleagues in the EU. The hallmarks of citizen wellbeing are predicated on knowledge sharing and mobilization, Open Access research, and an informed public. And this wellbeing can be supported by governments that value information literacy, particularly in the areas of politics, health, and science. As concerning as current events are, there are promising collaborations to be made that can lead to new understandings – understandings and developments that will benefit Canadians and our friends in the European Union.”

Ben Beveridge, Proconsul, one of our writers has published about Scotland, Canada, and the ties that bind the future of the Commonwealth, and says:

“Canada and the European Union share more than just trade agreements, we share a vision for democracy, innovation, and the rule of law. Belief alone is not enough. As protectionism and authoritarianism rise, the need for deeper transatlantic cooperation has never been greater. The European Movement is not just a diplomatic gesture; it’s a necessary step toward securing a world of adaptive resilience, economic strength, and democratic integrity. Canada must not be a spectator to history. Strengthening our relationship with Europe now is an investment in the stability and prosperity of our shared future.”

Call to action

Find more about this initiative and have your say about it! Geopolitical strategies are changing and those with common value towards unity and democracy should start thinking of the ‘new normal’.