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

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

#591

Post by grumbelbart2 » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:23 PM UTC

fidotron wrote: post #367

corford wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>inflexibility on the EU side triggered the Brexit referendum. That's a bit of a stretch

It's literally what happened. Cameron was trying to reduce the scope of EU integration with the UK (esp freedom of movement), with the threat he didn't want to use of a referendum, the EU said no (as the other commenter explained partly to disincentivize others, but also because they thought he was bluffing and people would never vote to leave), so the referendum was held.

Cameron wanted to split the four freedoms. Canada does not, from what I can read.

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

#592

Post by fidotron » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:23 PM UTC

FabCH wrote: post #520

fidotron wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am in Canada. There's no evidence Canada is OK with those things.

Fair enough. It’s what the newspapers report: https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/canada-alliance-eu-carney-2...

It's not actually reporting on the substance in any meaningful detail, and no one is, for the relatively simple reason that once it happens every special interest group in Canada will find something to go nuts about.

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

#593

Post by dghlsakjg » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:23 PM UTC

FabCH wrote: post #520

fidotron wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am in Canada. There's no evidence Canada is OK with those things.

Fair enough. It’s what the newspapers report: https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/canada-alliance-eu-carney-2...

Do you have any sources that aren’t right wing publications from a country whose right wing is actively working against Canada and the E.U.?

US publications as a whole, and especially those on the right consistently miss the mark on Canadian coverage.

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

#594

Post by throwawayq3423 » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:23 PM 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. :)

I get that the trend is being accelerated with Donald Trump being an aggressive asshole for no reason, but Canadians pretending like they're anything but American is very weird.

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

#595

Post by thunderfork » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

gizajob wrote: post #495

foldr wrote: post #483

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This potential deal for Canada comes with compromises which would obviously be unacceptable to the UK (e.g. no full voting rights).

Likely as unacceptable to Canadians.

It's fine by me (sample size 1 Canuck)

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

#596

Post by bitcurious » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

vrganj wrote: post #478

cmiles8 wrote: post #158

This would be Canada getting down leveled to the minor leagues. Yes there are a few issues with the US, but Canada is vastly better off playing on the world stage under the wings of the US than it would be as the EU’s “associate member.” The next phase of history is going the be China and the US and then everyone else scrambling for scraps.

You think the wings of the US are a larger league than the EU? The EU has built the world's largest trade zone, from Mercosur to South Korea, Japan and India to Canada. I believe they are currently outmaneuvering the rest of the world by quietly binding everyone to themselves while the US, Russia and China are caught up in their saber rattling. The US and China are fighting a 20th century contest of hard power. The E…

> The EU has built the world's largest trade zone, from Mercosur to South Korea, Japan and India to Canada.

Which of those agreements are fully ratified by the EU?

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

#597

Post by goalieca » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

FabCH wrote: post #106

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. :)

Carney was asking for freedom of movement of goods, people and services, but without full monetary and legislative integration. So, easier to sell stuff, easier to buy stuff, free to just travel to/from Canada/EU and work there with no extra paperwork, free to buy and sell service from Canada to EU and vice versa. No Euro, no vote in EU, no ECJ, no payments into each others budget. Tighter integration than UK, not as…

So what about the CETA (trade agreement) between canada and europe that isn't ratified yet. This feels like a hollow announcement for politicians.

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

#598

Post by gremlinunderway » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

gmueckl wrote: post #555

fidotron wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually going to raise questions as to why the EU are A-OK with this now when a possible interpretation of associate membership is it's what Cameron was trying to negotiate the UK into when complete inflexibility on the EU side triggered the Brexit referendum. All depends on what an associate member is of course.

The explanation is easy: Canada is not on the European continent. The EU can only extend full membership to countries on the continent, so Canada needs a special arrangement. And because there's a whole ocean serving as a reason for this special treatment, it's easy to argue that it won't extend to countries who can become full members.

There's actually no continental definition in the EU constitution but yes probably in practice this is correct in terms of perception

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

#599

Post by FabCH » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

rmgiroux wrote: post #497

FabCH wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carney was asking for freedom of movement of goods, people and services, but without full monetary and legislative integration. So, easier to sell stuff, easier to buy stuff, free to just travel to/from Canada/EU and work there with no extra paperwork, free to buy and sell service from Canada to EU and vice versa. No Euro, no vote in EU, no ECJ, no payments into each others budget. Tighter integration than UK, not as…

Hey, Celine Dion won Eurovision already. We just need to get Switzerland to retroactively let her win stand for Canada :) If it gets a free trade and freedom of movement system in place, I don't think anyone is going to object in Canada much. Unless they try to open up fisheries, which would get them a bunch of Maritime (and Quebec?) objections...

You only need 100 000 signatures to start a referendum...

Fisheries are obviously not going to happen. They didn't happen with Iceland, they are not going to happen with Canada either.

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

#600

Post by antalis » Wed, Sep 16, 2026, 1:24 PM UTC

fidotron wrote: post #367

corford wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>inflexibility on the EU side triggered the Brexit referendum. That's a bit of a stretch

It's literally what happened. Cameron was trying to reduce the scope of EU integration with the UK (esp freedom of movement), with the threat he didn't want to use of a referendum, the EU said no (as the other commenter explained partly to disincentivize others, but also because they thought he was bluffing and people would never vote to leave), so the referendum was held.

That's wrong, he did get what he wanted before the referendum: "After the deal had been approved, Cameron described it as giving the United Kingdom "special status within the European Union" and immediately declared that both he and the UK Government would campaign for a "Remain" vote in the referendum within a "reformed European Union"." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%932016_United_Kingd...