EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member' • Hacker News Board

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#91

Post by cbg0 » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:20 AM UTC

softwaredoug wrote: post #58

I’m not sure this is a good thing for Canada. The EU feels like an incomplete experiment. Not strong enough to actually be a single market. But still able to create additional annoying regulations on top of nation level ones. The EU needs to be truly Federal to succeed economically. That might create uniform regulations with more uniform regulations and actually make Europe competitive.

> The EU needs to be truly Federal to succeed economically. That might create uniform regulations with more uniform regulations and actually make Europe competitive.

EU already has uniform regulations, what are you talking about? It's also the third largest economy in the world, as uncompetitive as it is.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#92

Post by 9dev » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:21 AM UTC

N_Lens wrote: post #52

graemep wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The world was already moving on from US hegemony. China is already a super power, other economies are growing, and the west in general (i.e. all the countries mentioned here) are a shrinking proportion of the world economy (and population, or military strength).

Not if we kick off WW3 as a last ditch attempt to hold on to the old order ;)

You jest, but if you've ever seen a wounded animal fighting like mad for survival, I wouldn't be so confident that won't be the exact same things that's going to happen.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#93

Post by 9dev » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:21 AM UTC

graemep wrote: post #32

nephihaha wrote: post #13

The EU is running out of Europe. I thought Turkey or North Africa would be the next steps. Maybe Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

> I thought Turkey or North Africa would be the next steps. Maybe Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Not white enough for the EU. There is a lot of opposition to even Turkey, which is already in customs union, joining and talks are dead specifically because EU countries do not want immigration from Turkey.

No, just too corrupt for the EU.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#94

Post by arethuza » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:22 AM UTC

usewik wrote: post #50

cisc wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's more about predictability. America's become erratic and untrustworthy. America's made a deliberate choice make its reputation worse.

Eh, on a long enough timeline we have seen this and been there before. US is the beacon of democracy and the free world until it is not, and then until it again is. Depending on who is speaking and about whom and when. Most of these attention grabbing statements by politicians are usually about scoring political points at home. The only thing worthy of judgement are hard facts, and excruciating details, which are yet…

"US is the beacon of democracy"

40 years ago I probably would have agreed with this statement - these days, not at all.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#95

Post by hengistbury » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:22 AM UTC

karlkloss wrote: post #3

Nearly 60% of EU LNG imports come from the USA. If Trump doesn't like Canada to cuddle with the EU, then it won't happen. This is all a big pain in the back.

Petro-states are destroying their trust as they try desperately to cling on to the power fossil fuels have given them. Thankfully this makes renewables even more attractive than just their lower cost.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#96

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:22 AM UTC

0xpgm wrote: post #6

noir_lord wrote: post #2

Good, if the middle power democracies don't align/work together they are going to get torn apart in the struggle between the US and China.

One thing that is common about middle democracies is that prioritize a bureaucratic elite structure over an entrepreneurship culture, while both the US and China embrace entreprenuership wholeheartedly. If they changed that they'd perhaps become world powers themselves.

[deleted]

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#97

Post by ajuc » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:22 AM UTC

neom wrote: post #75

No idea what this actually means, if it means easier trade, I'm all for anything that reduces our dependency on the yanks, as long as we don't need to be involved in their regulatory or legal regimes. The Americans are no longer our friends, Salut, mes amis Européens. :)

> as long as we don't need to be involved in their regulatory or legal regimes

The only reason the trade is easy in EU (and with it non-EU partners) is these regulations. Countries that choose to stay outside but wanted access to our market (like Norway, Switzerland, etc.) - had to accept the regulations. So I highly doubt you'll get your wish.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#98

Post by Grombobulous » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:23 AM UTC

Maybe this is a naive statement, but it seems like full membership including open borders between Canada and other EU states and adoption of the Euro would also be beneficial to everyone involved.

The UK should continue to be embarrassed and ashamed to leave such an incredible institution, although at this point we can say that they clearly don’t deserve the EU anyway.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#99

Post by Autious » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:23 AM UTC

dmos62 wrote: post #88

neom wrote: post #75

No idea what this actually means, if it means easier trade, I'm all for anything that reduces our dependency on the yanks, as long as we don't need to be involved in their regulatory or legal regimes. The Americans are no longer our friends, Salut, mes amis Européens. :)

> as long as we don't need to be involved in their regulatory or legal regimes EU has such a bad name in these circles. As a EU citizen, I cherish these same regimes.

Yeah, I'm curious about which ones are a problem. I could see there being some incompatibility, and the details are more interesting than sweeping statements.

Some regulations would have to be normalized and agreed upon between the countries for trade open up. Can't have different quality standards and ways of evaluating and declaring them.

Re: EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

#100

Post by Epa095 » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 11:23 AM UTC

softwaredoug wrote: post #77

lnxg33k1 wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not sure, if I see the example of US as federation, it might work well for corporations only, but people have nothing, uniformity doesn't work because not all populations have the same needs/expectations

Maybe, but it’s way too difficult to do business in the EU. Not because I think regulations are bad. But regulations need to be well designed with clears lines on what the Federal / State are allowed to do.

Its hard because its 27 different countries, but they are working on making it less hard. Many startups are made in Europe, but then bought up (often by Americans) or moves to USA when its time to expand outside the single countries boarders. Canada has the same problem.

Canada has made it pretty clear that they do not want to be part of the big country south of it, so they will have to find a way to create large companies that stays. Doing this together with a market of 450 million people seems like a good idea.