Charest urges PM to call EU leaders to save CETA
• Veteran Liberal statesman Jean Charest, who as Quebec premier was intimately involved in the debut of Canada-European Union free-trade talks, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should call his French and German counterparts to push for a CETA resolution because “the credibility of Europe is at stake.”
But he cautioned Trudeau to wait until the time is right to “get them to step up,” urging a cooling-off period as tempers flared over the Belgian region of Wallonia’s veto of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Trudeau is due to be in Brussels Thursday to sign the deal.
“In the next few weeks, I think we’re just going to have to let things cool down,” Charest said from London, where he was attending a Brexit conference.
“The harder we push now, it’ll just entrench the Walloons in their position. You get to the point in that dynamic where then it becomes a point of pride, their opposition becomes a point of pride.”
After Canada walked out on negotiations Friday, the EU gave Belgium until Monday to support CETA. But with Wallonia’s regional parliament remaining recalcitrant, Belgium said it would be unable to do so.
However, Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, tweeted in the evening, Brussels time: “together with (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau), we think Thursday’s summit still possible. We encourage all parties to find a solution. There’s yet time.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said the two men spoke Monday agreed “to stay in close contact,” a spokesman said.
“Our strong action had the desired results,” International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday, defending her walkout on Friday — when she said she thought a deal was “impossible.
“Today, all the Europeans, including the Walloons, have publicly accepted that Canada’s job is done. Canada is ready to sign CETA but the ball is in Europe’s court and it’s time for Europe to do its job.”
During question period Monday, Conservative trade critic Gerry Ritz accused Freeland of turning her back on Canadians and Canadian jobs when she walked out and said there should have been an “adult” at the table.
Freeland said she was “tough” and reiterated it was Europe’s turn to negotiate within itself.
The New Democratic Party called for the deal to be reopened, with House leader Murray Rankin suggesting if the Liberal government had held consultations on CETA, it would have found “millions of people” are concerned about its implications.
Paul Magnette, the Walloon prime minister, said Monday conversations with Canada were over and further negotiation would have to happen in the EU.
Charest also suggested Trudeau could call Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President François Hollande of France to ask them to take ownership of the deal.
“We need to get them to step up. The credibility of Europe is at stake,” he said.
“If Europe is not able to come to a deal with Canada, then Europe has no trade policy, and their ability to get things done is going to be questioned. This issue here on the European side has become much bigger than just Canada. It’s a much bigger issue. And anyone who doesn’t think that’s the case is out to lunch. This is a huge issue and the world will watch.”
Though there’s no “definite time by which this has to be done where we fall off a cliff,” Charest said after seven years of negotiation it’s time to see whether Europe can act as a collective on trade or not.
On a visit to Ottawa Monday, Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian foreign minister, said he discussed CETA with Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion.
“We are very frustrated, very disappointed,” he said. “My question would be: with whom would we be able to agree on free-trade terms if not with Canada?
THIS ISSUE HERE ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE HAS BECOME MUCH BIGGER THAN JUST CANADA.