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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
he → show → politicians
Sidney Crosby’s jersey makes an appearance
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
Europe → argue → Europe
It will make Canada stronger.
asserted
Canada → make → ?
It will make… Canada a better partner with the United States.”
asserted
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.
asserted
citizens → conclude → ground
His address ended to a hearty standing ovation, hoots and hollers from nearly all MEPs present.
asserted
address → end → MEPs
The applause lasted over a minute, only dying down when Carney left the hemicycle.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
that → share → stars
Though he didn’t write a caption to accompany the image, the sentiment of welcoming Canada to the EU was clear.
asserted
sentiment → write → EU
Meanwhile, Polish MEP Robert Biedroń shared a similar image, captioning it: “Welcome Canada!”
asserted
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.
asserted
Metsola → follow → Europe
“Dear friends in Canada, today marks a new exciting chapter in our shared journey.
asserted
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.”
asserted
that → change → Canadians
She later added: “We should not…be scared of something new.”
asserted
We → add → something
Echoing this sentiment in a post shared to her Instagram after the press conference ended, Metsola wrote: “Allies and friends.
asserted
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.”
asserted
we → thank → journey
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary.
asserted
website → break → news
The Aporia
