Carney Giddy over EU acceptance.
-Sackets Harbor NY By Hans Wilder
America, this one’s serious. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Strasbourg today when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly invited Canada to become the European Union’s first-ever “associate member.”
She said she wants to “open the door” for Canada in that new status — something short of full membership, but a major step toward much deeper economic, defence, tech, energy, and security integration with the 27-nation bloc.
Carney was sitting right there. Reports and the photos coming out of the European Parliament show him looking pretty pleased with the invitation. Folks along the St. Lawrence, take a hard look at the map. The EU isn’t just an ocean away anymore in this scenario. It’s looking to plant a much closer partnership — regulations, standards, supply chains, defence cooperation — right on the other side of our river.
Do Watertown Post readers really think the United States is going to shrug and accept the European Union effectively extending its influence right up to the St. Lawrence River border? Absolutely not. Canada is a sovereign country and can pursue whatever alliances it wants.
But this move, coming amid already strained North American trade and sovereignty talk, raises real questions for northern New York, for border communities, for energy, commerce, and security that sit just a short drive or boat ride from us.
This isn’t abstract European politics. It’s happening in our backyard. What do you think — should the U.S. be paying closer attention? Drop your thoughts below.
(Photo: the moment Carney heard the news.)
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