There is no “associate membership” of the European Union, nor any blueprint for what such a thing might involve.
uncertain
thing → be → what
It is a political hypothesis, describing a relationship of intimate strategic alignment with the EU, stopping short of actual membership, in ways that are significant but undefined.
asserted
that → describe → ways
This week, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, invited Canada to be the first country to enjoy this putative status.
asserted
Leyen → invite → status
In her state of the union speech, she spoke of a future relationship elevated “to the highest level possible”, reflecting an affinity of interests and values.
asserted
she → speak → interests
Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, reciprocated the sentiment in a speech on Wednesday.
asserted
Carney → reciprocate → Wednesday
Addressing the European parliament, he said the two sides should secure “strategic autonomy through deep cooperation” across a broad spectrum of interests: trade, defence, industrial capacity, science, space and AI.
asserted
sides → address → interests
He proposed Canadian participation in the EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme and Horizon research scheme.
asserted
He → propose → programme
Negotiating even a relatively straightforward trade agreement with the EU can be heavy going, given the need to accommodate the rival priorities of 27 member states.
asserted
Negotiating → negotiate → states
Creating a more multifaceted partnership is arduous work, bedevilled by technical detail, as Britain has found when trying to settle the terms of its post-Brexit relationship with mainland Europe.
asserted
Britain → create → Europe
That process has been complicated and slowed down by a deficit of trust.
asserted
process → complicate → trust
The Labour government has repudiated the venomous anti-Brussels ideology that drove the decision to leave the EU, but the Brexit deal inherited from the Conservatives was designed to work as an automatic ratchet, pulling the two sides apart.
asserted
deal → repudiate → sides
Reversing that mechanism takes a greater input of political energy and imagination than Sir Keir Starmer could muster.
uncertain
Starmer → reverse → energy
Andy Burnham has yet to rise to the challenge.
asserted
Burnham → have → challenge
The UK prime minister could learn from his Canadian counterpart.
uncertain
minister → learn → counterpart
Both find their global positions weakened by Donald Trump’s contempt for traditional US allies.
asserted
positions → find → allies
Canada and the US share the longest land border on Earth.
asserted
Canada → share → Earth
Mr Trump denigrates his northern neighbour’s sovereignty, suggesting it become the 51st US state.
asserted
it → denigrate → sovereignty
He has provoked a pointless, costly trade war.
asserted
He → provoke → war
The UK has not been spared tariffs and other diplomatic indignities, but it has not suffered quite the same degree of sustained rhetorical and economic aggression.
asserted
it → spar → aggression
Mr Carney has responded with a clear-eyed plan for geopolitical reorientation.
asserted
Carney → respond → reorientation
He talks about a “rupture” in the international order and the challenge facing “middle powers” in a destabilised world shaped by rivalry between the US and China.
asserted
He → talk → US
He urges maximal cooperation between democracies that still value a system of multilateral alliances underpinned by international law and an understanding that reciprocal obligations can yield mutual benefits.
asserted
obligations → urge → benefits
That is the animating idea behind the new acceleration in Canada-EU relations.
asserted
That → animate → relations
It is alien to Mr Trump, and he doesn’t like it.
asserted
he → like → it
He has warned of yet more tariffs should the Ottawa-Brussels axis evolve into anything he deems economically unfavourable to the US.
asserted
he → warn → US
For the time being, this is all happening in the realm of rhetoric.
asserted
this → happen → rhetoric
The time is overdue for a British prime minister to show the same clarity of purpose.
asserted
minister → show → purpose
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Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article?
asserted
you → have → article
If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
asserted
you → like → section
The Aporia
