The trio of leaders – Carney, von der Leyen and Costa – invoked individual and collective sovereignty as reason to pursue a closer alliance to resist “new storms” fueled by climate change, challenges to democratic norms and the militarization of trade. Carney notably cited concerns about encroachment on Canadian sovereignty as a reason for withdrawing from trade negotiations with the Trump administration.
“Today it’s about sovereignty,” Carney said. “We are building the industries and infrastructure that guarantee our collective security.”
Quebec wanted a place at the table
The summit took place in Montreal a few weeks after Quebec – the French-speaking province of Canada that hosted the summit – elected a separatist government. Quebec shares powers with Ottawa and had its own seat in CETA trade negotiations with the EU more than a decade ago; and he had sought to play a similar role at this summit.
But Ottawa refused to let new Prime Minister Paul St-Pierre Plamondon speak at the summit, so he boycotted it, complaining that he was being asked to “serve shrimp cocktail.”
Carney accused him of leaving “an empty chair.” It remained empty, even though six former prime ministers of Quebec came to dinner.
The Europeans did not escape unscathed. The Quebec press called von der Leyen’s English-only opening speech a misstep in Canada’s largest French-speaking metropolis. The Commission’s executive vice-president, Teresa Ribera, did not do better, telling Radio-Canada in French that, for Brussels, summits like this take place between national governments.
Bagel diplomacy
In a city where a heated rivalry between two bagel shops persists, von der Leyen couldn’t help but choose sides with a photo shoot in St-Viateur.
Sorry Fairmount.
Gn usa
