Far-right German politician heckles Carney with 'U.S.A.' chant before EU address

Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)Social SharingAs Prime Minister Mark Carney approached the podium at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, he was met by a lone heckler with an unexpected chant for a Canadian leader speaking to the EU in France.

"U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" German MEP Siegbert Droese called out.

Some in the crowd groaned, then Carney chuckled and carried on with his speech where he called for closer ties between Canada and the EU and an "alliance for the future."

In a statement provided to CBC News, Droese said the chant was his way of "addressing the geopolitical elephant in the room."

‘U.S.A., U.S.A.': German politician chants as Carney speaks to EU Parliament

Droese said Carney's reaction to his callout shows the prime minister "clearly has a sense of humor."

Carney's address to the Parliament in Strasbourg is just another step in a bilateral push for a tightened relationship with the EU and comes just a day after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wants Canada to become the bloc's first "associate member" — a new, and as of yet, undefined title.

"It was an absurd and unrealistic knee-jerk reaction for Ms. von der Leyen to propose an 'associate EU membership' for Canada: a status not provided for in any of the European treaties," Droese wrote in his statement.

Droese is a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has been surging in popularity among German voters.

A 'Make America Great Again' hat sits on the desk of the German Member of European Parliament Siegbert Frank Droese in 2024. (Virginia Mayo/The Associated Press)The AfD's domestic policies include proposing large-scale deportations of anyone of non-German heritage and a push for what the party calls a patriotic cultural policy to cut funding for projects not deemed suitably national — such as some Holocaust remembrance programs.

In his statement, Droese called the European Commission president corrupt and suggested she's seeking an agreement with Canada to bypass her "abysmal" relations with the U.S.

Droese ended his statement by saying there is a "certain irony in the fact that the six letters 'USA! USA!' were enough" to trigger a reaction.

David Cummings is a reporter for CBC News.