Half-joking comments about Canada joining the bloc have become common as Ottawa adapts to its fraying relationship with the United States.
France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot has floated the idea that Canada could one day join the European Union, using the transatlantic ally as a striking example of the bloc’s global appeal.
Speaking at the Europe 2026 conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, Barrot argued that the EU is increasingly attracting partners far beyond its borders as geopolitical tensions soar.
Barrot’s Canada remark was not presented as a concrete policy proposal, but rather as part of a broader argument that the EU is emerging as a “third superpower” capable of balancing the rivalry between the United States and China.
EU is not a guarantee but creates some friction against autocratic takeovers. When countries like Poland or Hungary try to weaken the rule of law EU has some tools at its disposal to discourage it. It doesn’t always work but countries not in EU have even fewer protections. Also EU justice system is often the only thing protecting people from errors and abuses of national justice systems.
As long as Brussels has not fallen to the same forces, yes. But it is dangerous to believe that Brussels can lastingly secure democracy when a majority of local voters persistently push for dictatorship.
Maybe I’m an optimist but most European countries an EU itself still have healthy and independent justice system. Even when extremists take over power in individual countries and at EU level they still have to operate inside the legal system. Situation like in US where the top court was completely taken over by political actors and is actively undermining all institutions is way less likely here, if at all possible. EU of course has many different, serious issues and I’m not saying that for sure nothing bad will happen here but I think most countries are safer as part of EU than being independent. Basically what I’m saying is that Brussels will most likely fall last. Once it’s down we’re all fucked.
The EU does complicate Gleichschaltung of the kind we see in the US indeed. This could be observed in Poland and Hungary, that the EU is at least an obstacle to some extend. However, like I said. Even that can only take so and so much erosion of institutions, especially once the populist authoritarians, energised by Russian support take over a majority in the EP and the Council (with the help of voters of course).
No democratic entity can survive voters persistingly voting for the end of democracy. No matter how it is set up.