Canada will be ‘a living hell’ if it becomes associate member of EU, claims MEP

A Member of European Parliament (MEP) said that becoming an associate member of the EU would turn Canada “into a living hell” and asked “is Mark Carney stupid enough to fall for it?” during a debate on Thursday.

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Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, ahead of the EU-Canada summit in Montreal next week, German MEP Christine Anderson accused the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of looking to wipe out industry, censor speech and “flood” Canada with “even more illegal migrants.”

“Ursula von der Leyen wants to lure Canada into an associate membership of the EU,” she said. “Apparently (she) is no longer content with merely terrorizing the people in the EU with her insane regulations, bureaucracy, and cronyism.”

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Arguing that von der Leyen’s motivations aren’t related to trade because CETA (an existing free-trade agreement between Canada and the EU) is already in place, Anderson said: “She is looking for yet another people whose industry she can wipe out, whose prosperity she can destroy, whose speech she can censor, and whose countries she can flood with even more illegal migrants, thus turning Canada into a living hell.

“The question is: Is Mark Carney stupid enough to fall for it, or will he do right by the Canadian people and tell Ursula von der Leyen to bugger off?”

Anderson suggested that if Canada were to become an associate member of the EU, “maybe a new freedom convoy would then be in order,” referring to the 2022 protests that were organized to oppose COVID restrictions.

++ Canada, It's a Trap! ++
Ursula #vonderLeyen wants to lure Canada into an associate EU membership.
Will Mark Carney do right and tell von der Leyen to bugger off? If he won't, then the Canadian people will have to fix it, and maybe a new freedom convoy would then be in order. pic.twitter.com/53Ej7AClaq

— Christine Anderson (@AndersonAfDMdEP) October 23, 2026

Later on in the debate, European Parliament Vice President Younous Omarjee reminded speakers to show respect to Carney during their comments. “You can of course criticize the gentleman, but some comments are not acceptable,” he said.

But not all the MEPs speaking at Thursday’s debate shared Anderson’s views. Members reacted to the scope of Canada’s proposed associate membership, which was outlined by European Commissioner Jozef Síkela at the start of the meeting and would involve supply-chain integration, the creation of a technology space for joint research, and coordinated economic-security policies.

Belgian MEP Kathleen Van Brempt said, “In a world filled with Trumps, Europe needs stable and reliable partners,” adding, “Canada is such a partner,” while Poland’s Dariusz Joński echoed this sentiment, saying: “We need reliable and strong allies, and Canada is one of them.

But French MEP Angéline Furet expressed concerns about the impact on European factories and industries, and Latvia’s Rihards Kols added that the EU does not need “quasi member states,” but instead needs “to deliver on the agreements that we have already signed.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the European Union’s invitation to become its first-ever “associate member” in September with a speech in the Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg, which was well-received by the MEPs in the room — including Anderson’s colleague, Terry Reintke, who attended in a Sidney Crosby Team Canada jersey.

The summit in Montreal on Oct. 29 and 30 is expected to deepen the alliance between the EU and Canada, focusing on cooperation on trade, defence and security, technology, energy and critical minerals.

However, as Síkela noted in his address, negotiations remain ongoing and the scope of what associate membership would actually mean for Canada will be defined over the coming year. “Nothing is done until it’s done,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anderson stirred controversy in Canada in 2023 when she was denounced by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre after meeting three Tory MPs.

Dean Allison, Colin Carrie and Leslyn Lewis were photographed having dinner with Anderson in February that year, drawing concern from Canadian groups including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).

Anderson represents the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), which was classified as “extremist” by Germany’s spy agency in 2025.

In a written statement responding to the concerns, Poilievre called Anderson’s views “racist, hateful” and “vile.”

“The MPs were not aware of this visiting member of the European Parliament’s opinions, and they regret meeting with her,” the statement said. “Frankly, it would be better if Anderson never visited Canada in the first place.”

Poilievre’s office also issued a separate statement attributed to the three MPs. “It is, of course, not uncommon for members of Parliament to meet with visiting elected officials from other countries,” it read, adding, “We were not aware of the views or associations of her and her political party. We do not share or endorse her views and strongly condemn any views that are racist or hateful.”

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