Closing out a two-day E.U.-Canada summit in Montreal, Carney told reporters: “Today, the European Union and Canada are launching the ‘Alliance for the Future,’ a new partnership of nations that will leverage our strategic capabilities and a variable geometry of like-minded nations to address common issues.” He noted that the alliance will focus on “increasing our collective sovereignty and resilience in areas such as AI, energy, critical minerals, quantum, and beyond.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced her plan for Canada’s first-of-its-kind membership to mixed responses last month. While both von der Leyen and Carney referred to an “associate” membership throughout the summit, the term notably does not appear in the final statement of the E.U.-Canada summit. Instead, the joint statement pledges to "work to define by the 2027 Canada-E.U. summit the concept of an ever-closer association of Canada to the E.U., short of full membership itself."
In Montreal, von der Leyen said the broader E.U.-Canada alliance would go beyond Canada’s potential associate membership, allowing for ambitious economic opportunities. Carney added that the partnership would hopefully provide opportunities for young Canadians to live, travel, and study in Europe.
Still, there has been reported pushback and uncertainty from some European officials.
“If you come up with a new concept in the European Union, and you propose something, be it the Commission or somebody else, then of course it takes some time to reflect for all 27 member states,” Luttenberg told CTV on Tuesday, admitting “we have been a little surprised by the announcement, which doesn’t mean that we cannot agree on it.”
She added: "We have worked intensely with all our Member States on this and the basis for associate membership is clear in the summit text. We regret that we did not yet have complete unity from MS on the initial wording but we have a strong basis agreed and we are now working to flesh out the details of what this ambition looks like and how it will work.”
Carney, meanwhile, told reporters Thursday: “This new alliance is not a marketing exercise. The name doesn’t matter. What matters is that the complementarities of our two jurisdictions strengthen our [Europe and Canada’s] sovereignty.”Earlier this year, Carney discussed a “rupture in the world order” and suggested that the U.S.-led international order was breaking down—his warning came against the backdrop of Trump threatening economic pressure to yield desired results.
But experts say Carney’s burgeoning international relationships—with the E.U., China, and elsewhere—have proven to be a strong move for the Canadian leader, despite threats from Washington.
Confidence in Carney among the public was seemingly reflected last week, as over 75% of Albertans voted against a future referendum on independence, opting instead to remain part of Canada.
What is the status of the U.S.-Canada trade talks?
“We will have [a deal] when it suits Canadians,” Carney told reporters Wednesday, downplaying any suggestion of a trade deal being reached before the U.S. midterms on Nov. 3. “If those deals present themselves, we will pursue them, but we're not at that position right now.”
“To the extent any progress has been made, it’s because the U.S. is coming closer to our position,” Carney told reporters.
At a rally last weekend, Trump insisted the trade dispute would be “settled pretty soon,” but did not offer specific details.
A White House official told TIME Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer “have had discussions with their Canadian counterpart in recent days.”
TIME has reached out to the White House and Carney's office for comment.
For any deal to progress, Carney will need to secure protections regarding the vital industry, experts tell TIME.
But progress may be difficult, trade experts add, given how long the standoff has stretched on.
“Tensions have risen to the point where neither side is going to be happy if the other one comes out the winner,” she insists.
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