Prime Minister Mark Carney received sustained applause during a speech to the European Union in Strasbourg France this morning.

He welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s invitation for Canada to become the EU’s first associate member.

“Just as dominance is the arrogance of the hegemon, perfection is the enemy of the good.”

“The economics of this are clear; the leverage of the powerful and the exploitive relationship collapses, well before complete independence is achieved, because diversity confers advantage. The objective is not self-sufficiency, it’s collective resilience.”

Carney says a deeper partnership is needed between Canada and Europe – “which brings so many things” including market power, research depth, advanced manufacturing and the ability and the will to set standards that the world “frequently adopts.”