Letters: The EU is not the answer to Canada's needs - National Post

Prime Minister Mark Carney smiles as he listens to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presents a "state of the union" address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Sept. 16, 2026. Von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the first "associate member" of the European Union. Photo by JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP via Getty ImagesArticle content‘Another dubious effort to jump-start our export economy’Sign In or Create an Accountor View more offersArticle contentRe: French nationalist Marine Le Pen would be the anti-extremist choice — Geoff Russ, Sept.10

After reading Geoff Russ’s article on the rise of Marine Le Pen in France amid a collapsing political and economic environment in the European Union, one cannot fail to question Prime Minister Mark Carney’s desire to establish closer relations with that unified state.

While increasing non-U.S.A. trade is a desirable outcome of any attempt to reverse our economic decline, it would appear this decision fails to function as more than another dubious effort to jump-start our export economy. A similar effort was undertaken several decades ago under Pierre Trudeau’s “Third Option” strategy with the European community. That effort failed miserably.

Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.

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It is unlikely much has changed in the European economy in the intervening years except even more economic decline with its many internal barriers to global trade. Furthermore, the EU tilt toward antisemitism against Israel has manifested itself in a boycott of Israel exports. And Canada has joined that parade of malice to our ongoing shame, even refusing to provide the requisite level of support to our own Jewish population.

Without a functioning Parliament it appears Canada has drifted toward a downward slope in both our participatory democracy as well as having entered a decade of accelerating decline in economic self-sufficiency with no end in sight.

Re: Fréchette dismisses anglo concerns, holds firm on French-only election mailouts — Jack Wilson and Kalina Laframboise, Sept. 3

In June, Christine Fréchette, Quebec’s premier, told voters that she intended to strike a “different tone” with anglophones after years of acrimony. Her government’s subsequent refusal to let Élections Québec continue mailing voting information in both French and English was a slap in the face to anglophones; especially unilingual seniors. (Anglophones must use a QR code to link to English instructions on the Élections Québec website.)