OTTAWA – France’s new ambassador to Canada says her nation admires the Carney authorities’s response to “extraordinarily radical” American calls for and is asking for swift motion to spice up Canada’s strategic ties with Europe.
“My mission could be very clear. It’s to work towards making France one among Canada’s closest allies in Europe, in every area, in each sector,” French Ambassador Hélène Farnaud-Defromont instructed The Canadian Press on Friday.
In her first interview since her posting began final month, Farnaud-Defromont mentioned in French her nation sees Prime Minister Mark Carney’s method to managing commerce negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration as “exemplary.”
The prime minister referred to as a halt to commerce talks with Washington in August and accused the Trump administration of bringing recent calls for to the desk on the final minute. Carney additionally has vowed to guard Canada’s language sovereignty and talent to control massive tech companies.
“The stance, which is each very calm and really decided, by Canadian leaders within the face of calls for from the U.S. which can be, in spite of everything, extraordinarily radical is basically an perspective that instructions admiration in Europe and … in France particularly,” she mentioned.
“We all know {that a} promise made or a treaty signed can be honoured, however actually, we will now not make sure of any of that.”
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The European Union handles most of France’s commerce talks with Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron criticized the EU’s resolution this summer time to just accept an American deal that imposes a 15 per cent tariff on many European items however not on American ones.
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Farnaud-Defromont mentioned Europe and Canada are each navigating a turbulent world local weather marked by financial upheaval, a warfare in Ukraine and political polarization.
France is grappling with a funds disaster and rising frustration amongst youngsters concerning the training system that boiled over into violent clashes with police this previous week.
The broader uncertainty makes Canada “an important and most popular associate” for France, the ambassador mentioned.
“We, France and the French folks, actually wish to current ourselves as honest, dependable and steadfast companions, on the coronary heart of those worldwide uncertainties,” she mentioned.
Farnaud-Defromont mentioned meaning constructing on already robust ties primarily based on shared values, human rights, Canada’s many French-speaking communities and dozens of French firms which have operated for many years right here.
“Now we have a bilateral relationship that is excellent, complete and substantial, however we consider we will obtain much more collectively, in areas which can be actually strategic,” she mentioned.
She mentioned France affords Canada “win-win” co-operation in sectors resembling aerospace, defence, power, quantum expertise and synthetic intelligence.
France is one among 10 European Union nations which have by no means ratified a commerce take care of Canada, though that deal has been in efficient operation for nearly a decade. The French Senate voted in opposition to ratifying the deal in 2014 within the face of lobbying by the nation’s politically delicate agriculture trade.
Farnaud-Defromont mentioned the French and Canadian economies would profit if each nations did extra collectively in complimentary fields resembling area and defence.
Canada and the EU are holding a bilateral summit later this month. Many observers hope that assembly produces particulars of a proposed new partnership between Canada and the EU — one which European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen controversially framed as “affiliate” EU membership for Canada.
Carney has as an alternative referred to an “alliance of the longer term.” Farnaud-Defromont mentioned concrete outcomes are extra essential than phrasing.
“We have to construct this up. It’s very new and we have to do it pretty rapidly,” she mentioned of the partnership. “We don’t have time to spend years haggling over commas and durations.”
Farnaud-Defromont mentioned Carney’s speech final month to the European Parliament within the French metropolis of Strasbourg resonated with the French folks. In that speech, the prime minister spoke of Canada’s long-standing ties with the continent and the numerous fields the place Canada and Europe can work extra carefully collectively.
“We don’t wish to fully disrupt the system, however we do wish to discover new alliances and new multilateral dialogue codecs,” she mentioned.
“We must be creative, we must be progressive, versatile, and agile.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Oct. 11, 2026.
— With recordsdata from Émilie Bergeron
© 2026 The Canadian Press