As an immigrant to Canada at age 8, I still remember the yearning for the home I left. I didn’t know it then. But it wasn’t for Hungary, where I was born. It was for Europe — its worn narrow streets, ornate buildings, and smells so different from Toronto’s smooth pavement, faceless high-rises, the acidic bite of freshly squeezed orange juice, and immaculately manicured front lawns that I was suddenly exposed to. It wasn’t much later that I decided I had to return to the Old Continent. Which I did, though much later.
But it turns out I may not have had to.
The bridge connecting Canada and Europe will never be built. Canada will never become the EU’s 28th member. But Ottawa and Brussels are growing closer at a speed I would have thought inconceivable less than two years ago. And for those, like me, who see the best in these two worlds, praise — yes, praise! — goes to Donald Trump for making it happen.
Canada’s multilateral, social‑democratic, and consensus‑oriented political culture has, for as long as I can remember, aligned more naturally with Europe than with the United States. But it’s the mutual irritation with recent U.S. policies that has resulted in both finding themselves on the same side of key issues.
Even if Trump’s claims on Canada and Greenland are not followed up on, their symbolism made Europe and Canada realize that a formerly trusted partner has crossed a line. That, and detrimental U.S. trade and security measures, further undermined trust. Ottawa and Brussels are boosting bilateral trade ties as a result, particularly through CETA, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
Canadian companies are expanding in European markets at a pace that outstrips their presence in the US. And European investment in Canada has grown in parallel, especially in green technology, critical minerals, and financial services. Other areas of increased cooperation include the aerospace industry, cyber‑security, and next‑generation military systems. These growing partnerships operate alongside US expertise and supply networks. But they are increasingly independent of them.
Meetings between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and senior European leaders are adding symbolic weight to this growing closeness. Carney is approachable, reasonable, low-key, and urbane. In contrast to North America’s other head of government, EU nations see in him a trusted partner in economic governance and climate finance.
He’s the best thing that could have happened to Canada and Europe, my two homes, at a time when the idea that even an ocean cannot separate shared interests and beliefs has become not a pleasant thought but a necessity.
Hell, I might even move back to Toronto!
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