• @[email protected]
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      1013 days ago

      Actually, the EU has a whole bouquet of options for countries that want to cooperate with it. It can be trade agreements, free trade area, currency union, Schengen Area and so on. Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are examples of different degrees of associated status.

      But be aware that any full EU membership would non-negotiable include the right of not only companies but also people to move freely in the common area - yes, that would mean that any EU citizen has the right to move to and live in Canada, and vice versa, as long as these persons can support themselves.

        • @[email protected]
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          413 days ago

          Not really. It prevents countries from bearing the burden of maintaining other nation’s unemployed, incapacitated, etc…

    • @[email protected]
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      13 days ago

      The majority of people even in blue states were fine with Trump. No thanks, they can stay where they are.

  • @[email protected]
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    1813 days ago

    It doesn’t really make sense for Canada to be a member of the EU simply because Canada isn’t in Europe. What we could do is grant Canada a deal similar to what Norway has now. We’re one of four members of EFTA, which are part of the EEA without being EU members.

    I must admit that my knowledge of Canada is shallow at best but my impression is that its overall values align well with western European democracies.

  • @[email protected]
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    1614 days ago

    It would mean replacing The CAD with the EUR, would be kinda funny to see EU flags on the border between the US and Canada though…

        • @[email protected]
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          313 days ago

          Yes, we call our dollar coins “loonies” as a result. By analogy, the bimetallic $2 coin is the “toonie” for two.

          That looks like a joke written out, but it is not.

    • @[email protected]
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      3014 days ago

      In fact, the following EU countries do not (yet) use the euro, but their own currency:
      Bulgaria
      Czech Republic
      Hungary
      Poland
      Romania
      Sweden

      • @[email protected]
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        14 days ago

        In theory they’re legally obligated to switch one day. In practice Romania is being blocked by other EU members.

        • @[email protected]
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          1514 days ago

          Denmark has a dispensation they arranged when forming the EU.

          Sweden and the other countries does not.

          When joining the EU you are commited to switching to the Euro when you have fullfilled the criteria for doing so, Sweden has decided to not fullfill the criterias required and will therefore keep the Krona for the forseeable future.

    • lemonaz
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      113 days ago

      I want this if only just to see Vance complaining about EU expansion at their border.

      No need for them to adopt the Euro though. Many EU countries are still on their original currency even now.

  • Avid Amoeba
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    14 days ago

    Cool. I’m not offended by that. 28th member sounds respecta. 51st state, not so much. 😂

  • atro_city
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    1514 days ago

    As much as I like Canada compared to the US, they are not European by any stretch of the imagination. I’d be for free trade and free movement as a beginning, but part of the European Union is a bit much.

    • @[email protected]
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      414 days ago

      It’s not possible by current legislation aswell. You need to be on the European continent to join the EU.

      • @[email protected]
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        1113 days ago

        Fun fact: being located on the European continent is actually not a requirement. It is only mentioned that you need to be “European” which is open to interpretation (although, of course the continent comes to mind first). It basically says you have to have some relation towards being European, whether that is by politics, culture or by location (preferrably all of the above).

        The best example would be Cyprus, which is actually located on the Asian continent but is culturally closer to Europe than Asia.

        Canada feels like one of the more “European” leaning countries considering this. That said, I think the chance of them joining the EU in the close future admittedly feels pretty low. But you never know, maybe the EU evolves into something of a counter concept to whatever is happening in the USA right now.

      • Redex
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        1014 days ago

        No, technically you just need to be “European”, which is never strictly defined anywhere. It was being considered that Algeria join after all, but it didn’t happen because of the civil war (from my understanding of the situation). Canada is one of the most European-like non Europe countries, so it would kinda fit.

  • @[email protected]
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    4513 days ago

    Nah we just need a fancy team name for the not-absolute-fuck-head countries.

    I mean EU is Europe and I fucking love you guys but down here in Australia we can’t just up and move the continent to Europe.

    I don’t think the name should be dependent on membership like BRICS or whatever because you don’t want to have to rebrand when you kick someone out or let someone in.

    I think it should include a word like collaborative because honestly, that’s what it’s about - we’re better off working together.

    It’s also important to choose a name with a catchy acronym that isn’t already taken.

    Maybe Collaborative Union of Nice Terran States.

    • @[email protected]
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      1213 days ago

      EBU EU whats the difference?

      If Australia can be part of the Eurovision song contest so It can be of the EU. Also everybody already asume anyway that you are just Austria.

      • @[email protected]
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        112 days ago

        We’re also democratic, we should call it the free democratic coalition of states.

        Its not like there is any bad precedent in using names like this, like democratic republic of korea, or just referring to USA as “land of the free”…

      • @[email protected]
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        313 days ago

        Not true, there’s also we poor countries who can’t afford hanging around with the nice guys in the block

        • @[email protected]
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          113 days ago

          Well who says you cant join up? An alliance like NATO doesnt have a price tag except for the 2% minimum defence limit, but it’s 2% subjective to your income. So you literally can afford that.

          • @[email protected]
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            113 days ago

            Yes but then you’d need NATO’s approval. Remember how Erdogan put all sorts of 'but’s to Finland and Sweden, countries with way more wealth (and more arguments to be included in NATO) than one like mine

      • @[email protected]
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        413 days ago

        I still would not call them European values, it comes of as values that exist in Europe and nowhere else. And I’d rather have compassion, democracy etc everywhere.

    • @[email protected]
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      313 days ago

      You just answered yourself. Just call it CUNAFHC - Collaborative Union of Not-Absolute-Fuck-Head-Countries

    • @[email protected]
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      413 days ago

      I like “Commonwealth”.

      But I re-read your comment and the initialism is a solid option.

  • @[email protected]
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    614 days ago

    From the limited stuff I know about Canada, please no. They only seem reasonable because they are only ever compared to usa.

    • @[email protected]
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      2114 days ago

      lol wut? This is the first anti-Canadian comment I’ve ever heard. Canadians are unreasonable? “I do not know much about them, but in my self-admittedly ignorant opinion I think they are an unreasonable people”. Wouldn’t that make us fit right in if everyone in EU was like you?

      lmao. I’m going to be laughing about your comment for the rest of the day. Thank you.

      • @[email protected]
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        214 days ago

        Treatment of the indigenous people is the first thing that comes to mind. 5 eyes, black face, (re?)electing a crack smoker.

        Just the 5 eyes thing is a deal breaker for me.

        • @[email protected]
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          14 days ago

          Treatment of the indigenous people

          That’s fair, and IMO should be the deal breaker. (edit: how unreasonable of me)

          5 eyes

          We’re a junior partner and net recipient. Our judiciary flat out prevents most of our participation, and we’d likely leave it to join,

          black face

          That thing that originated in Europe? Or the American version that isn’t us?

          (re?)electing a crack smoker.

          He might have been re-elected as a Ward councillor, but I don’t think it is fair to hold an entire nation responsible for 1 city’s stupidity. A nation that for the most part considered them a laughing-stock.

          Regardless, I’m not actually in favour of joining the EU directly but fully support bolstering our alliances.

          • @[email protected]
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            14 days ago

            black face

            That thing that originated in Europe? Or the American version that isn’t us?

            They’re probably talking about that time Justin Trudeau, our former PM, did something stupid and racist at a party decades ago. Actually he seems to have done it more than once. It was pretty bad, but it’s a weird thing to judge a whole country on.

            • @[email protected]
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              614 days ago

              Oh snap I completely forgot about that. Well, I’ll hold the behaviour of our historical leaders up against the EU’s any day. TBF they’ve had far longer to put stupid shit on record than we have ofc.

      • atro_city
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        114 days ago

        What’s the internet regulation like in Canada? What’s fiber penetration like? What about public transport? What’s Canada’s stance on green and renewables? How are votes counted? Is the Canada pro-regulation?

    • @[email protected]
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      914 days ago

      I wonder what you’re thinking of. On just about every issue there’s somewhere in Europe further right or further left. Since this is Lemmy you probably don’t mean we like immigrants too much.

  • Lad
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    214 days ago

    With the increasing far-right influence in the EU, Canada should steer well clear. Unless that’s something they’d like to contribute to themselves.

    • @[email protected]
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      14 days ago

      The far right is currently collapsing here, and was never as prominent as in France or Germany in the first place.