Bring Canada to the EU? Sigmar Gabriel makes unusual suggestion

Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) has suggested that Canada offer membership in the European Union. “Maybe not fully integrated like everyone else, but maybe partially,” said the SPD politician and chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke association on Saturday to the Bremen “Weser-Kurier”. He did not reveal what it should look like in detail.

Gabriel’s argument: In view of the advance of US President Donald Trump to unite the USA and Canada. “In any case, Canada is more European than some members of the European Union,” added the SPD politician. Possibly a swipe against EU member Hungary, whose government under Viktor Orbán repeatedly noticed by violations of the EU’s values, and finally even occurred from the International Criminal Court.

Trump has multiple mocked Canada as “51st state” of the United States, which prime minister referred to as “governor”. He also exerts pressure on the neighboring country in the north with tariffs. In the trade dispute, Canada has recently imposed on some vehicles from the USA, in the supermarkets the shelves in which otherwise products from the USA have been found in the supermarkets. Since the two countries, which have been good partners for decades, obviously no longer have confidence in each other, Canada could use supporters from other parts of the world.

But would Canada join the EU at all? Probably not: In the contract for the European Union it says: “Every European state that pays attention to the values ​​mentioned in Article 2 and is committed to their funding can apply to become a member of the Union”. Here would be the wording “everyone European State “crucial-that is simply not Canada. Although Caribbean islands such as Curaçao or Martinique, as well as La Réunion or Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, are part of the EU, although they are geographically far from the European continent, but only because they belong to EU countries such as the Netherlands or France as official overseas areas.

Sigmar Gabriel, who should know the regulations of the EU as a former foreign minister, should actually know that his proposal is rather unrealistic. A closer relationship between the European Union and Canada would certainly be possible in other ways, for example through trade agreements or common cultural projects. Perhaps Canada would even take part in the ESC – if Australia may do that, there is nothing against it in this case either.