There are calls in Canada to join the EU. What does it mean

According to a survey for the Globe and Male in April 2026, 57% of Canadians support the country's accession to the European Union: over the year, the number of supporters of European integration increased by 15 percent. France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain also supported the possible membership of the North American country in the bloc, despite the fact that Brussels and Ottawa had previously rejected such a scenario. Why the possibility of Canada joining the EU is being discussed and what it means is in the Izvestia article.

Chances of joining the EU

• The idea that Canada could become a member of the EU was voiced by Finnish President Alexander Stubb in March: he invited Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to consider the country's accession to the European Union. The idea was supported by the French Foreign Ministry, which noted that the EU is attracting partners outside Europe amid rising geopolitical tensions. The goal of Canada's participation in the EU would be to strengthen the anti-Russian bloc that forms the European Union and turn the EU into a "third superpower."

• The proposal to join the EU in March was rejected by the Canadian Prime Minister himself, the press secretary of the head of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, also called the idea unviable, despite the results of a survey of Canadians. According to article 49 of the Treaty on the European Union, only a European state can become a member of the EU, although this did not prevent Cyprus, located in Western Asia, from joining the bloc in 2004. In the case of Canada, the obstacle to membership is the lack of centuries-old cultural, political and economic ties with Europe. In addition, Canada is not a member of the Council of Europe, which is also one of the prerequisites for membership.

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The threat from the United States

• The discussion of the prospect of unification with the EU was a reaction to the aggressive rhetoric of US President Donald Trump, who stated that Canada should become the 51st state and imposed import duties on Canadian products. Canada, like the European Union, sees the unpredictable US policy as a threat and is trying to enlist the support of its allies. In particular, Canada is a strategic partner of the EU in trade, combating climate change and security issues, as well as a participant in the EU's SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defense investment program, and a member of the European "coalition of the willing" supporting Ukraine in the conflict.

• The United States is fueling separatist sentiments in Alberta, Canada, where by early May it was possible to collect the necessary number of signatures for a referendum. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the province, which borders the U.S. state of Montana, a "natural partner" for the United States. Canadian oil sands are concentrated in Alberta, which contain about 167 billion barrels, almost four times higher than all US oil reserves. The Canadian authorities fear that by seceding from the country, the province may join the United States.

Escape from internal problems

• For Canadians, their interest in the EU is due to their proximity to European English-speaking and French-speaking culture, the opportunity to gain unlimited access to European markets and a more advanced system of government regulation. In particular, against the background of Canadian medicine, which is funded from the state budget, the European Union's healthcare system, funded from commercial insurance funds and including dental services and medicines as universal benefits, looks more advantageous.

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• The desire of Canadians to join the EU is a symptom of internal problems. In Canada, there is growing dissatisfaction with elements of the political system and the unfair distribution of funds between provinces. In particular, Alberta's separatism is due to the fact that the province is inferior in the political field to the economically less successful Quebec: Canada's parliamentary system makes the votes of Albertans less valuable than the votes of residents of the eastern provinces.

• The Canadian system of "equalization payments" for the provinces has become a punishment for the country's oil-producing territories. Moreover, in accordance with the "green transition", hydropower was excluded from the formula. As a result, the hydrogenated eastern provinces of Quebec and Manitoba receive additional income to the detriment of western Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the period 2015-2025, Quebec received about $129 billion from the Canadian budget, while Alberta, which is the country's production locomotive, did not receive a cent.

• Alberta, which has no access to the sea, cannot supply oil to foreign markets due to obstacles erected by other provinces, thereby keeping domestic energy prices low. There is no ban on discrimination in trade between territories in Canada: the trade barriers that provinces place against each other have led to the fact that, according to a 2019 report by the International Monetary Fund, it is more difficult for local companies to break into the domestic market than for foreign companies that take advantage of international free trade agreements. These factors have led to lower GDP per capita in Canada than in Alabama, one of the least productive states in the United States.

What does it mean

• The appearance of the topic of Canada's accession to the EU is rather a signal to the United States that the European Union may become a more significant structure that will have to be reckoned with. Canada is unlikely to become a part of the European Union, despite the fact that it borders the EU countries in the Arctic along Hans Island and the Nares Strait separating Canada and Greenland. For Ottawa, the process of joining the EU may turn out to be unprofitable, since oil-bearing territories are already suffering from the introduction of green initiatives, and additional EU requirements may worsen the country's economic situation. The European Union is also not interested in including the United States in its immediate neighbor, as Washington may perceive this as a threat and toughen its rhetoric against the EU. The very discussion of Canada's possible membership in the EU is an indicator of European ambitions to become a more significant player on the world stage. For Canada, this is rather an attempt to divert the attention of the population from internal problems.