Metsola said the bloc had taken a similarly strong and self-confident stance in the crisis around Trump’s threats to annex Greenland at the beginning of 2026, and also when von der Leyen last week invited Canada to become an associate member.
But despite strong ties with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his country, crucial elements of bilateral agreements are still in limbo. Metsola called on the 10 remaining EU countries that have not ratified the decade-old CETA free-trade deal between the European Union and Canada to finally do so.
The leaders of the EU and Canada are expected to hold a summit in Montreal in October, where both sides are aiming to seal a Digital Trade Agreement. Metsola dismissed concerns over the absence of dedicated AI provisions. “The idea of having separate chapters on AI would be akin to having chapters on the internet in the past,” she said, arguing that the technology will permeate every aspect of economic activity.
Recently, Metsola’s center-right EPP has repeatedly relied on support from right-wing groups to pass legislation, drawing sharp criticism from Socialists and Greens. Metsola declined to give a direct answer when asked whether she wanted the EPP to rule out future alliances with hard-right parties such as Germany’s AfD and France’s Rassemblement National.
“I am a proper centrist,” she said. “I have always believed that majorities should be built from the center outwards. That gives you a stronger mandate when negotiating with the Council.” There would be votes in the future “that will depend on different majorities,” she added. “I’m the president, I represent all the members. I just want predictability and stability.”
At the beginning of 2027, Metsola is expected to run for a third consecutive term as president of the European Parliament, but she did not confirm this to POLITICO. Asked if she had any ambitions to eventually run for president of the European Commission, Metsola said: “It is the honor of a lifetime and the responsibility of a lifetime to run this parliament. It’s not easy. So I focus on that.”
