Canada can learn some hard lessons from Brexit as it pivots to the EU

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union on Wednesday revealed that the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become its first associate member.That news came just days after Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke of forging a “ unique alliance ” with the bloc. To separate the geopolitical symbolism of the EU’s invitation from the economic constraints that would limit any attempt to make Europe a substitute for the United States, Natio