More than Two in Three Canadians Back EU Associate Membership: Poll
The poll found 70% support for deeper ties, while 25% would be more likely to back a deal if Canada changed laws to match the EU.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, proposing deeper Canada-European Union ties as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signaled openness to negotiating Canada's status as an associate member.
- Carney envisions an 'alliance of the future' centered on critical minerals, defense, artificial intelligence, energy security, integrated financial markets, and youth mobility across the Atlantic.
- The Leger poll of 1,533 respondents conducted between Sept. 19 and Sept. 21 shows 70 per cent of Canadians support closer ties, with support strongest among seniors at nearly 80 per cent.
- While Quebec and Ontario show strong support, Manitoba and Saskatchewan reported only 44 per cent favor for increased trade access, a trend Enns linked to agricultural export history and travel habits.
- Aligning domestic laws with the European Union remains contested, with only 25 per cent of Canadians supporting such changes; further details are expected at the Canada-EU summit in Montreal next month.
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32 Articles
They see the prospect that Canadian firms will have better access to European markets.
The Toronto Star
More than two in three Canadians back EU associate membership: poll
OTTAWA - Canadians overwhelmingly support Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union, a new poll suggests — even though the details of that arrangement haven't been finalized.
Ursula von der Leyen plans an unprecedented alliance and wants to make Canada the first associate member of the European Union. While the Canadian Prime Minister celebrates the advance, US President Donald Trump reacts with drastic threats to the project.
Canadians Back EU Associate Membership, Until Laws Have To Be Changed
A large majority of Canadians support the idea of Canada becoming an associate member of the EU, but new polling suggests that enthusiasm becomes more conditional when closer ties involve changing Canadian laws and regulations. A Leger survey released Thursday found 70% of respondents supported associate membership, compared with 13% who opposed it and 18% who were unsure, The Canadian Press reports. The more consequential finding may be how res…
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