Stéphane Dion says Canada needs more diplomats in Europe

Former foreign affairs minister Stéphane Dion told the Senate on Wednesday that Canada needs to substantially increase its diplomatic presence in Europe and ensure its agreements with Brussels are actually implemented, not left on paper.

Dion, who served as Canada's ambassador to France until January, warned that peer countries have more diplomats handling fewer files. "Our resources are already underdeveloped for a G7 country and even compared with countries of lesser importance than ours," he testified in French.

His comments come after Canada's former military chief called for Ottawa to stop cutting diplomats in favour of defence spending. Dion suggested appointing senior officials accountable for each agreement signed with the EU, with specific objectives and deadlines.

He also pushed back on the idea of Canada joining the European Union, calling it a "false good idea." Some EU countries still haven't fully ratified the 2017 CETA trade deal with Canada, and joining would require ceding sovereignty to Brussels on provincial representation—a move Dion said Canadians would not accept.