CC BY 4.0 Etienne Ansotte, © European Union, 2021 Adapted
Name? Ursula Von der Leyen
Westphalian identity? German
Age? 67
Why is she in the news? The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, invited Canada to be the EU’s first associate member during her State of the Union speech at the European Parliament; the new alliance centers on defense, critical minerals, and energy security.
Why do we care? Von der Leyen seized the rising tensions of the trade war between Canada and the US as an opportunity to tighten relations with Canada. The EU moves beyond the comprehensive trade agreement (CETA) and, for the first time, they offer associate member status. To determine the nature of the relationship, further discussion will be held in Montreal in October.
Why should you care? Von der Leyen announced that the union’s flagship project will be the Arctic, securing energy and critical resources. Canada possesses a large pool of critical materials, 6o different types and almost 200 mines. The EU and Canada already share projects such as Horizon and SAFE, which are a mineral and energy alliance, but this new strategic partnership will help the EU diversify their critical mineral imports and ultimately decrease their dependency on China.
Who else cares? U.S. President Donald Trump cares. Both the EU and Canada are dealing with tariffs imposed by his administration, and those sanctions turned the two towards each other. Moreover, they challenge Trump’s golden age narrative: two historical allies turn their backs on the U.S. to form a more stable relationship. Trump considered this act as hostile and threatened to impose more tariffs on Europe.
Any further comments? The new arrangements require a unanimous agreement between the 27 EU members. Ten European countries have not yet ratified the CETA, and the bloc is already proposing an alliance more developed than the current deal. The ratification gives a glimpse into whether member states will accept Canada’s association.
