EU split deepens over use of "associate member" label for Canada

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are at odds over the wording used to describe the EU’s future relationship with Canada. Von der Leyen promoted the label “associate member” at a summit in Montreal, while Berlin successfully removed the term from a joint statement approved by the 27 EU capitals earlier that day.

The dispute echoes a previous German-led proposal to apply the same status to Ukraine, which was rejected by both EU officials and Kyiv. German officials view von der Leyen’s push as a rebuke of that initiative.

Berlin has also signaled it will not approve the EU’s next long-term budget, estimated at around €2 trillion, unless substantial cuts are made, and it remains skeptical of von der Leyen’s plan for a European Security Council, preferring a separate format with France and the United Kingdom for Ukraine-related matters.

“There is this institutional dilemma between Brussels and Berlin,” said Jan Techau, head of Germany for the Eurasia Group and former German defence-ministry speechwriter. “Von der Leyen has taken a strongly integrationist approach to the EU while Merz has completely developed away from this and talks about the nation-states as the primary driver of EU policy.”

The Commission’s chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, said the EU is focused on building on the foundations set at the recent summit and that both sides share the same basic goals for EU-Canada ties.

“We’re really focusing on building on the foundations that were set last week at the summit,” Pinho said.

A German diplomat added that the substance of the partnership is unchanged, but the terminology differs.

“There is no difference in substance. We both committed to form a unique partnership that we don’t have with any other country outside the European Union.”

According to EU diplomats, von der Leyen’s definition of “associate member” for Canada would exclude the status from being offered to Ukraine, making it an intermediate step that does not lead to full EU membership. Berlin maintains that its plans for associate membership differ from the Commission’s approach.

Techau noted that while both leaders belong to Germany’s Christian Democratic Union and often share similar views, the Canada issue illustrates a broader ideological divide over whether the EU should be driven more by common institutions or by national governments.

“The issue is, in many ways, ‘unresolvable,’” Techau said.

The disagreement underscores a growing rift within the bloc on key policy areas, including the budget and security architecture.