Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will attend Mark Carney's speech, the Prime Minister of Canada, in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday. This decision was made after von der Leyen had previously announced that she would not be able to attend this speech due to "prior commitments" in Brussels. This change pleased some Members of the European Parliament who had criticized her initial absence.
Reasons for the Change of Decision
Von der Leyen had previously refrained from attending Carney's speech due to presenting a new online safety bill for children in Brussels. However, in light of the negative reactions from representatives, including Kathleen Van Brempt, a Social Democrat representative from Belgium, who deemed the absence of the President of the European Commission as "unacceptable," von der Leyen decided to change her schedule. Van Brempt stated, "One of Europe's most important allies is coming to your Parliament, and you, as President of the European Commission, decide not to come? This is more than a disrespect. This is unacceptable."
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Carney's Plans in Europe
Mark Carney is set to participate in von der Leyen's State of the Union speech on Wednesday and then speak to Members of the European Parliament on Thursday. Carney is expected to address proposals for closer cooperation with the European Union, especially as Ottawa is grappling with a trade war with Washington. Carney has also planned to meet with Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, and Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, after this speech.
Overall, von der Leyen's change of decision regarding attendance at Carney's speech reflects the importance of relations between Europe and Canada and the effort to maintain positive international communications. This event is also seen as an opportunity to explore trade and economic cooperation between the two parties.
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