Mark Carney received enthusiastic support during his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, where he advocated for closer ties between Canada and the EU amid increasing trade volatility under U.S. President Donald Trump. Before and after the address, Carney was mobbed by lawmakers who shook hands with him and took selfies; one politician even wore a Sidney Crosby jersey to show support. Despite some opposition from right-wing MEPs who chanted "USA! USA!" during his speech, Carney’s presentation concluded with a standing ovation from the majority of attendees.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s highly anticipated address to the European Parliament on Thursday was frequently interrupted by applause from the lawmakers in the room, and ended to a hearty standing ovation followed by expressions of support on social media from politicians across Europe.
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address → anticipate → Europe
Carney, who has welcomed the European Union’s invitation to become its first-ever “associate member,” pitched Canada as a natural ally for the bloc of 27 European countries in the face of increasing trade volatility by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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who → welcome → Trump
And the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) appear to have thrown their support behind him following the speech in the European Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday morning.
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Members → appear → morning
Carney’s popularity with European lawmakers became evident before his speech even began, with the MEPs already present in the hemicycle breaking into applause as the PM walked in.
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PM → become → applause
In fact, Carney’s address to the European Parliament was delayed by roughly ten minutes as dozens of European lawmakers huddled around to shake his hand, exchange some words and, occasionally, take a selfie.
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dozens → delay → selfie
Video footage from the minutes before his address showed Carney surrounded by photographers as he made his way around the room and interacted with the other politicians.
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he → show → politicians
Sidney Crosby’s jersey makes an appearance
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jersey → make → appearance
Among the MEPs showing their support for Carney was Terry Reintke, a German politician and co-president of the Greens–European Free Alliance Group.
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Reintke → show → Greens
She wore a Sidney Crosby Team Canada jersey and was all smiles as she posed for a picture with Carney before he spoke, while MEPs cheered in the background.
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MEPs → wear → background
Sharing a picture of them on social media shortly after, Reintke wrote: “Welcome bienvenue Canada,” accompanied by emojis depicting the Canada flag, the European flag and a red heart.
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Reintke → share → flag
As Carney took the stand, Siegbert Droese — one of the few MEPs from the populist right-wing Europe of Sovereign Nations Group attending the speech — chanted “USA! USA!” earning himself groans from other lawmakers and a laugh from the prime minister.
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Droese → take → minister
Though members of the most right-wing political groups in the room appeared to remain silent for the rest of Carney’s speech, the PM was frequently interrupted by applause from other MEPs in the room.
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PM → appear → room
In a press conference after his speech, Carney argued that the U.S. would benefit from Canada deepening its ties to Europe, saying: “It will make Europe stronger.
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Europe → argue → Europe
It will make Canada stronger.
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Canada → make → ?
It will make… Canada a better partner with the United States.”
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Canada → make → States
A standing ovation
Concluding his speech with a symbolic reference to the Vimy oaks that grow in both Canada and France, Carney said: “Let us now deepen these roots, widen this canopy, and grow a transatlantic forest under which our citizens can flourish as free people on free ground.
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citizens → conclude → ground
His address ended to a hearty standing ovation, hoots and hollers from nearly all MEPs present.
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address → end → MEPs
The applause lasted over a minute, only dying down when Carney left the hemicycle.
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Carney → last → hemicycle
Spain and Poland support Canada
Reintke is not the only European politician who welcomed Carney to the hemicycle with a social media post.
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who → welcome → post
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, showed his support for Canada becoming an associate member of the EU shortly after the PM’s speech in Strasbourg wrapped up.
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speech → show → Strasbourg
In a post on X, Sánchez shared an image of the EU flag that depicted a small, red maple leaf next to the recognizable 12 stars.
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that → share → stars
Though he didn’t write a caption to accompany the image, the sentiment of welcoming Canada to the EU was clear.
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sentiment → write → EU
Meanwhile, Polish MEP Robert Biedroń shared a similar image, captioning it: “Welcome Canada!”
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Biedroń → share → Canada
In a press conference following Carney’s speech, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola expressed enthusiasm for closer ties between Europe and Canada.
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Metsola → follow → Europe
“Dear friends in Canada, today marks a new exciting chapter in our shared journey.
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today → mark → journey
The world is changing, and together we will shape that change, tackle what comes next and build a future that is fairer, that is better, that is brighter for Canadians and Europeans alike.”
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that → change → Canadians
She later added: “We should not…be scared of something new.”
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We → add → something
Echoing this sentiment in a post shared to her Instagram after the press conference ended, Metsola wrote: “Allies and friends.
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Metsola → echo → Instagram
Prime Minister Mark Carney, thank you for your leadership as we strengthen the bond between Europe and Canada and open a new chapter in our shared journey.”
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we → thank → journey
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary.
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website → break → news
The Aporia
