PARIS — New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney began his first trip overseas since taking office by saying his country needed to work with “reliable allies,” a clear shot at U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It’s more important than ever that Canada reinforces its ties with our reliable allies like France,” Carney said while appearing alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris at the Elysée Palace. “We know that economic collaboration, not confrontation, is the way to build strong economies.”
Carney appeared to emphasize the word “reliable,” looking directly at Macron as he said the word in French. The former Canadian and English central banker‘s grasp of French, an official language in Canada, has been a point of debate in domestic political circles. While he speaks French well, he is not natively bilingual.
Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister on Friday, is traveling to France and the United Kingdom on Monday to shore up transatlantic support for Ottawa as it faces tariffs and annexation threats from Washington. Trump has slapped duties on several imports coming from U.S. trading partners like the European Union and Canada, most notably on steel and aluminum. Canada has hit back with retaliatory measures, while the European Commission has said it is ready to do so.
“I want to ensure that France and all of Europe work enthusiastically with Canada — the most European of non-European countries,” Carney said in what appeared to be a nod to suggestions that Canada should join the EU.
A recent survey from Canadian pollster Abacus data found that 44 percent of Canadian respondents believe their country should join the EU, while only 34 percent oppose the idea — although EU membership is reserved to European countries.
Macron stressed that he and Carney shared a belief that “fair trade that respects international rules is good for everyone’s prosperity. Certainly more effective than inflation-creating tariffs that damage production chains and the integration of our economies.”
Both Carney and Macron underlined the shared economic opportunities for their countries in fields including AI and quantum technology. Earlier in the day, Carney visited the reconstructed Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris and met with the Canadian ambassador and former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion.
Later on Monday, he will travel to the U.K. to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III.
It is unclear whether Carney will have more opportunities for trips abroad as prime minister, as he is expected to call for new elections as early as this month.
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