BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's announcement that the EU will explore "associate membership" for Canada came as a surprise to member countries — and left governments concerned about the potential trade-offs. During her annual State of the Union speech in Strasbourg, von der Leyen floated the upgrading of relations with Ottawa to meet the need to "urgently reimagine our partnerships" and "build global coalitions for our resilience and democracies." Canada, which is locked in an escalating trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, will begin "opening the door" to become "the first associate member of the EU.
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