A former German politician, Sigmar Gabriel, has waded into the dispute between Canada and the United States. US President Donald Trump recently suggested that Canada should become the 51st state of the US, which was vehemently rejected by the Canadian government.
In an interview with the Weser-Kurier, Gabriel proposed an alternative solution, saying, “I would offer the Canadians to become a member of the European Union. That would probably be the most sensible option.”
Gabriel had previously expressed a similar view in an interview with the Focus, stating, “They are more European than many a European member state. They are just geographically not in Europe. But we can make rules for that.”
The Canadian government, led by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has taken a stance similar to that of some EU countries in the past. For instance, when truckers in Canada protested against COVID-19 measures, the government responded similarly to how some EU countries handled the issue. The protesters, who blocked border crossings between the US and Canada, were labelled as Nazis and their fundraising accounts were frozen.
Canada is also at the forefront of legislation against hate speech and its laws on medically assisted suicide are sometimes proposed as a solution to social problems. Meanwhile, the Canadian Parliament made international headlines when it applauded a former Ukrainian Waffen-SS member as a “Ukrainian freedom fighter.”
Justin Trudeau has since stepped down and Mark Carney, a former London banker, has taken his place. Early elections are scheduled for April 28 in Canada.