Mark Carney, the brand new Canadian prime minister, is headed to Paris and London searching for alliances as he offers with Donald Trump’s assaults on Canada’s sovereignty and economic system.
Carney is intentionally making his first overseas journey to the capital cities of the 2 nations that formed Canada’s early existence. At his swearing-in ceremony on Friday, Carney famous the nation was constructed on the bedrock of three peoples: French, English and Indigenous. He stated Canada was basically totally different from the US and can “never, ever, in any way shape or form, be part of the United States”.
A senior authorities official briefed reporters on the aircraft earlier than selecting up Carney in Montreal and stated the aim of the journey was to double down on partnerships with Canada’s two founding nations. The official stated Canada was a “good friend of the United States but we all know what is going on”.
Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus on the College of Toronto, stated: “The Trump factor is the reason for the trip. The Trump factor towers over everything else Carney must deal with.”
Carney, a former central banker who turned 60 on Sunday, will meet with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Monday then journey to London to take a seat down with the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, in an effort to diversify commerce and maybe coordinate a response to Trump’s tariffs.
He can even meet with King Charles III, Canada’s head of state. The journey to England is a little bit of a homecoming, as Carney is a former governor of the Financial institution of England, the primary noncitizen to be named to the function in its greater than 300 years.
Carney then travels to the sting of Canada’s Arctic to “reaffirm Canada’s Arctic security and sovereignty” earlier than returning to Ottawa the place he’s anticipated to name an election inside days.
Carney has stated he is able to meet with Trump if he exhibits respect for Canadian sovereignty. He stated he didn’t plan to go to Washington in the intervening time however hoped to have a cellphone name with the president quickly.
Sweeping tariffs of 25% and Trump’s speak of creating Canada the 51st US state have infuriated Canadians, and lots of are avoiding shopping for American items after they can.
Carney’s authorities is reviewing the acquisition of US-made F-35 fighter jets in mild of Trump’s commerce battle.
The governing Liberal occasion had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this 12 months till Trump declared financial battle and repeatedly stated Canada ought to turn out to be the 51st state. Now the occasion and its new chief, Carney, might come out on prime.
Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian historical past and worldwide relations on the College of Toronto, stated Carney was smart to not go to Trump. “There’s no point in going to Washington,” Bothwell stated. “As [former prime minister Justin] Trudeau’s treatment shows, all that results in is a crude attempt by Trump to humiliate his guests.”
Bothwell stated that Trump calls for respect “but it’s often a one-way street, asking others to set aside their self-respect to bend to his will”.
Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill College in Montreal, stated it was completely important Canada diversify commerce amid the commerce battle with the USA. Greater than 75% of Canada’s exports go to the US.
Béland stated Arctic sovereignty was additionally a key problem for Canada. “President Trump’s aggressive talk about both Canada and Greenland and the apparent rapprochement between Russia, a strong Arctic power, and the United States under Trump have increased anxieties about our control over this remote yet highly strategic region.”
