New polling indicates a significant openness among Canadians to the notion of their country joining the European Union, amid ongoing tensions with the United States.

A survey conducted online by Spark Advocacy in March asked 4,000 Canadians whether the idea of Canada joining the EU sounded like a good idea, worth exploring more, or a bad idea. Twenty-five percent called it a good idea, while 58 percent said it merited further exploration. Only 17 percent deemed it a bad idea. Opposition was highest in Alberta at 23 percent and among Conservative voters at 30 percent, but majorities across regions, parties, and generations saw value in at least considering the proposal.

The poll also found that 64 percent of respondents viewed the United Kingdom's 2020 departure from the EU as a mistake.

Spark Advocacy Chief Strategy Officer Bruce Anderson attributed the results to disruptions from U.S. President Donald Trump's second-term tariffs, which have persisted for over a year and prompted Canadians to question their heavy economic reliance on the United States. "What we’ve seen is obviously a real shock to Canadians’ sense of the status quo and whether or not it could endure," Anderson said. "And alongside that, a real openness on the part of Canadians to say, ‘Well, let’s find solutions to this problem of reliance on the U.S. when the U.S. isn’t as reliable.’"

Canada exports about 75 percent of its goods to the U.S., making diversification a pressing concern as tariffs strain bilateral trade. Prime Minister Mark Carney has dismissed full EU membership but pledged to deepen trade and security ties with Europe. Earlier this year, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney urged "middle powers" to collaborate more closely.

The concept has gained international attention. Last month, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot suggested at a conference that "maybe Canada at some point" could join the EU, drawing applause. A European Parliament report described Canada as "perhaps the most European country outside Europe."

Separate polling by Abacus Data in February reinforced the trend. Among 1,915 respondents, 48 percent supported Canada becoming an EU member state, up two points from 2025, with 28 percent opposed. Seventy-four percent backed deeper strategic cooperation with the EU on foreign policy, defense, and economics. Positive views of the EU stood at 66 percent, while impressions of the U.S. fell to 24 percent positive.

Full EU membership would face steep hurdles, including geographic requirements under EU treaties that limit membership to European states. Canada maintains strong North American integration through the USMCA trade agreement and NATO alliances. Nonetheless, the polls signal shifting sentiments toward multilateral partnerships as geopolitical pressures mount.

Anderson noted broad support for global market access and collective action on issues like security and climate change. "Canadians’ support for multilateralism is not a matter of pragmatism, not ideology," he said.