France plays an important role in Europe, and Europe is a natural place for Canada to turn. But French instability may change Europe, and Canada needs to prepare for this possibility.
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Key Points:
- France is grappling with a significant fiscal and political crisis that has resulted in a worsening fiscal situation and a dysfunctional and unstable government.
- Closer ties with Europe, and countries like France in particular, have been a priority for the Carney government.
- France plays an outsized role in Europe. This crisis could shake up French politics and paralyze major European projects and policy coordination.
- A shift in France’s political landscape, including the possibility of a Rassemblement National president, could reshape European positions on Ukraine, China, trade and tariffs, defence procurement/spending, NATO, and climate policy. That will impact Canada as it pursues closer ties with Europe.
A few days after he became Prime Minister, Mark Carney went to Paris on his first foreign visit. At a press conference outside the Élysée Palace, Carney stood next to President Macron and called Canada "most European of non-European countries." But Carney wasn’t just there to wax lyrical about our shared history and culture - he was there to strengthen ties with reliable allies that share our values.
