US President Donald Trump has threatened the European Union (EU) with "very serious tariffs" if it moves forward with a proposal to make Canada an "associate member." Speaking to reporters, Trump called the proposal a "hostile act" and warned that if it went ahead, the US would impose tariffs on and stop trading with Europe. In response to Trump’s comments, France’s European Minister Benjamin Haddad said the US has no power to veto EU decisions. Speaking to the French TV channel Sénat, Haddad said it is not up to the US to "choose the political and geopolitical direction of the Europeans." The president’s threat follows a State of the Union address by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in which she invited Canada to become the EU’s first "associate member." In her address, von der Leyen stated that the proposed partnership was "not against anyone else, but for common strength." The invitation came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he is seeking a "unique alliance" with the EU amid an intensifying trade war between Canada and the US. In attendance as the guest of honor at the European Parliament’s plenary meeting, Carney delivered a speech in which he welcomed the EU’s "associate member" offer. In his speech, Carney said polling showed the majority of Canadians support a closer alliance, and called it a "positive approach that we will define together."
High gas prices and the rising cost of living had already made affordability a defining issue in this year’s midterm elections. Then Trump escalated his trade war with Canada.
