Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carry and French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: Gabrielle Cezard / Sipa Press / Profimedia
Joachim Streit never set foot in Canada. But this did not prevent the German politician from launching a tenacious campaign, on his own, which he describes without hesitation as “ambitious”: to do so that this North American country adhere to the EU, writes The Guardian.
“We must strengthen the European Union,” said Streit, who was elected a member of the European Parliament. “And I think Canada – as his prime minister says – is the most European country outside Europe,” he added.
“Canadians have seen their confidence in the undermined US, just like us in Europe, following the actions of President Trump,” said Streit.
“Canada would be an important member of the EU”
Although he acknowledged that the possibility of Canada became a full member of the EU “can only be an aspiration for now,” he asked if the time has come for this idea.
“Canada would be an important member. If Canada were a member of the EU, it ranked 4th in terms of GDP. It is part of NATO. And 58% of Canadians (working age) have university diplomas,” the German MEP argued.
Canada also has vast energy reserves-an asset that could prove useful for the community block, which is still struggling to free itself from Russian gas addiction, he added.
Since the launch of his campaign last month, Streit has become the most visible supporter of an unlikely proposal, which has gained ground since Trump began to launch the idea that Canada becomes the 51st US state.
At the end of January, Germany's former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel demanded that Canada be invited to adhere to the EU: “However, they are more European than some European Member States.”
Is it technically possible?
The press on both sides of the Atlantic debated this idea, and a survey conducted in February on a 1,500 Canadian sample showed that 44% of them believe that Canada should take into account the EU.
In March, however, a European spokesman seemed to reject the suggestion, citing an article in the EU treaty that specifies that only European states can request accession to the EU.
Streit rejected this technical aspect, indicating the French territories over the seas. “They are not in Europe either, but the islands belong to the European Union,” he said.
Cyprus, considered the territory of the EU, but geographically located in Western Asia, was another example.
And if we want to be used technical aspects, Canada is-although in a tiny way-geographically connected with Europe, he said.
“Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, has a common border with Canada,” he said, referring to the border that crosses the little unpopular island Hans.
