Canada to launch new alliance with EU at Montreal summit on 29-30 October

Summit in Montreal

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced at a press conference in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on Thursday (local time) that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will be in Montreal in three weeks. Canada will begin a new, transformative alliance with the European Union at the Canada-EU summit, scheduled for 29-30 October in Montreal.

Canadians can live their own lives in Quebec and the rest of the country, free from interference by foreign governments and big technology companies that think they can tell us what to do.

Carney said the alliance with the EU would create enormous opportunities for Quebec, according to the Canadian Press. "This is how we build a strong Quebec in a strong Canada," he added.

Response to Elon Musk

Carney was responding to posts by Elon Musk on Wednesday, in which the billionaire backed separatist aspirations in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Alberta, as well as the secession of Saskatchewan. The prime minister said Canadians would decide the country's future themselves, not foreign governments or large corporations.

Scope of the partnership

In September, during Carney's visit to the European Parliament, von der Leyen said she wanted to work with him to open a path for Canada to obtain the status of first associate member of the EU. Carney also stated that Canada is not seeking membership in the community. Carney's office described the approach as unique, to be developed together.

At the end of September, Politico reported that the new partnership would be broad in scope, covering agreements to remove barriers to digital trade, support for Ukraine, investment in fighting forest fires, and faster investment in the critical minerals sector. A preliminary version of the joint statement, to be issued after the summit and quoted by Politico, says Canada and the EU can build deeper and more integrated relations, with energy sources ranging from LNG and hydrogen to solar, wind and nuclear.

Relations between Canada and the United States have worsened since Donald Trump took office as US president in early 2025, according to the reporting, which cites both tariffs imposed by the US and other factors.