Astrid Lund - Betty MacDonald fan club organizer: "Dear Canadians, come to the EU! You are very welcome!"

Astrid Lund - Betty MacDonald fan club organizer: "Dear Canadians, come to the EU! You are very welcome!"------------------------------------------------------------ Berliner Zeitung New poll: This is how many Canadians would join the EU after Trump's threats Katerina Alexandridi • 1 hour • 2 minutes read People hold a large Canadian flag during a rally in response to US President Donald Trump's threats against Canadian sovereignty Nearly half of Canadians support their country's accession to the European Union. This is the result of a new survey conducted before Donald Trump's tariffs on the US neighbor took effect. According to the survey by the Abacus polling institute, 46 percent of Canadians support their country's accession to the EU. 29 percent of respondents oppose the idea, and a quarter are undecided. Regarding the US President's idea of ​​making Canada the 51st state of his country, only 10 percent said they would be in favor. The survey results "show the attractiveness of the EU. They show the appreciation of a very large portion of Canadian citizens for the EU and its values," said EU Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho on Wednesday. While she did not directly rule out Canada being eligible for EU membership, she said there are "indeed criteria provided for in the treaties that stipulate what is necessary for an application or for accession." The survey was conducted between February 20 and 25 among 1,500 Canadian adults, several weeks before the introduction of Trump's tariffs. US tariffs of 25 percent on all foreign steel and aluminum products went into effect on Wednesday night. Canada subsequently announced retaliatory tariffs of 25 percent on US goods. Trump announced 50 percent steel tariffs against Canada on Tuesday, but later rescinded them. However, the 25 percent tariffs that went into effect on Wednesday are also likely to have a significant impact on the country's economy. The steel tariffs are the first to directly affect the European Union during Trump's second term. Mark Carney will take over as Prime Minister from Justin Trudeau on Friday. Carney was elected by the ruling Liberal Party of Canada on Sunday to succeed Trudeau as party leader and thus later also as Prime Minister. The 59-year-old former central bank governor and political novice takes over as Canada's new head of government amid massive disputes with the United States. In his campaign for the party leadership, Carney promised to "get the economy back on track" and, in particular, to stand up to Trump. On Wednesday, he expressed his willingness to talk to the US president. The prerequisite for this is "that Canadian sovereignty is respected and that we work on a common approach," he said. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly expressed his wish that Canada should become the 51st state of the USA.