Moves like joining the EU’s military procurement pact and closer trade ties are based on common interests and common values.
Canada’s entry into the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program is the latest move taken by the federal government to strengthen Canada’s ties to Europe. It follows the signing of a Canada-EU security and defence partnership earlier in the year and the expansion of Canadian investment in the European Space Agency.
While such moves have elicited criticism from those who think Canada should focus exclusively on trade with the U.S., Canadian public opinion broadly backs deeper ties with Europe. An Abacus Data poll from March of 2025 showed 68% of Canadians with a positive opinion of the European Union, compared to 34% who had a positive opinion of the United States and 28% who had a positive opinion of China.
In that poll, the EU trailed only the United Kingdom as the country/bloc with the deepest positive impressions among Canadians. And when Canadians were asked who Canada’s most important partner (top 2) over the next 3-5 years would be, the EU came out on top with 52%, ahead of the United Kingdom at 44% and the United States at 38%.
Notably, that same survey showed 46% of Canadians would support Canada becoming a member state of the European Union, while 29% oppose such a move.
Such sentiments would have been unthinkable a few years ago, but the fundamental shift in the way the United States engages with the world has pushed many Canadians into reassessing Canada’s place in the world. The rhetoric, trade policy, foreign policy, and ethical framework of the Trump Administration are being soundly rejected by Canadians, and as Canada looks for like-minded trade and defence partners, Europe is high on the list.
Canada and Europe have many common interests, including the need to reduce economic dependence on a tariff-crazed United States, and reduce our dependence on U.S. military protection that is now doubtful. In terms of values, the importance of supporting Ukraine and standing up for institutional norms and human rights helps bring Canada and Europe together in a common cause.
When this is discussed, some try to preempt any deepening of Canada-EU ties by claiming that Canada’s economic dependence on the United States is inescapable. But that misses the point. Canada and the U.S. don’t trade out of a sense of charity, but because of mutual benefit. If the U.S. federal government decides to impose tariffs to try and cut off that trade, both Canada and the U.S. will become worse off (which is already happening). That doesn’t mean trade between Canada and the U.S. will end, but that there will be less of it, and it will be less efficient. Thus, it’s logical for Canada to seek partnerships with other countries and trade blocs, and the EU is the largest trade bloc on the planet. Even reducing our dependence on the U.S. by 10-15% would be a significant win, and closer ties with the EU can help make that possible.
And while Canada-U.S. military ties will likely remain relatively robust (assuming U.S. annexationist rhetoric doesn’t turn into action), Canada should absolutely deepen ties with the EU. The more allies we have, the more countries we can bid to provide defence products to, and the more countries we can buy military equipment from, the stronger and more resilient Canada will be.
With all of this in mind, joining the SAFE pact is an important step in reducing our dependence on the United States and deepening ties with Europe. When combined with Canada’s significant increase in defence spending and the large-scale rearmament underway across Europe, it’s clear that things are moving in the right direction.
Spencer Fernando
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