Ursula von der Leyen has thrown open the European Union’s doors to Canada, naming the North American nation as a candidate to become the bloc’s first associate member. The proposal, delivered during her annual state of the union address in Strasbourg, drew a standing ovation for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The invitation arrives as transatlantic alliances shift and Europe confronts mounting security threats from Russia. Von der Leyen framed the move as a strategic deepening of ties rather than a reaction to any single adversary. “This is not a partnership against anyone else, but for our common strengths,” she told the European Parliament.
The 73-minute address covered far more than Canadian membership. Von der Leyen pushed for a new European Security Council that would include Britain, Ukraine, Norway and other partners. She argued that hybrid threats from Moscow have evolved beyond their old definitions. Recent incidents include attacks on Lithuania and Denmark, plus a Russian strike near the Ukraine-Poland border that nearly hit a train carrying former British prime minister Boris Johnson.
The commission chief also pledged the bloc’s largest-ever support package for Ukraine ahead of what she called the toughest winter of the war. That includes humanitarian relief, power and heating supplies, and joint development of an affordable missile-defence system.
On trade and manufacturing, von der Leyen outlined plans for smart manufacturing, a tech alliance, integrated defence industries and a flagship Arctic project. Critical minerals, batteries, AI, quantum computing and cyber security all featured in her economic vision.
Meanwhile, she endorsed calls from AI researchers and executives to slow frontier model development. She noted that recent resignations and public warnings from figures like Geoffrey Hinton and Dario Amodei signal genuine alarm inside the industry.
Von der Leyen also proposed banning social media for children under 13 and barring personal accounts for those under 15. The approach echoes Australia’s under-16 ban, placing the burden on platforms to prove safety for young users.
The 27 EU member states must now decide whether the associate membership proposal moves forward. Historically, the bloc has resisted flexible arrangements that lack legal status.
