Carney photographed with Burnham before EU Parliament address
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was to join the campaign trail in Berlin on Thursday ahead of two state elections this weekend that the Guardian’s live blog reported “just could determine his political future.” Powerful state leaders from Merz’s own party have rallied behind the chancellor as speculation builds that his days in office may be numbered.
Merz has cancelled a planned trip to next week’s UN General Assembly. The Guardian described Merz as “embattled” as the chancellor prepared to campaign in Berlin ahead of the two weekend ballots, while state leaders from his own party have closed ranks publicly behind him even as doubts about his leadership persist.
Separately, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was to address the European Parliament late Thursday morning, fresh from watching Everton’s Carabao Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in Liverpool. Carney was photographed alongside Andy Burnham at Hill Dickinson Stadium before the third-round match.
The developments in Berlin and Brussels come as the European Union continues to navigate its proposed associate membership arrangement with Canada. In remarks reported overnight in the Guardian’s Thursday live blog, US President Donald Trump threatened the EU with “serious tariffs” and a cut to trade over the proposal, calling the idea “laughable.”
Suggesting the move was a “hostile act,” Trump told reporters he could put “very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe.” He added: “If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said a day earlier that the proposal was “not a partnership against anyone else, but for our common strength.” Commission deputy chief spokesperson Olof Gill repeated that line Thursday morning in response to Trump’s overnight threats.