Hockey jersey, selfies and applause: Carney mobbed by fans at EU speech as one member chanted ‘USA’

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Prime Minister Mark Carney’s highly anticipated address to the European Parliament on Thursday was frequently interrupted by applause from the lawmakers in the room, and ended to a hearty standing ovation followed by expressions of support on social media from politicians across Europe.

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And the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) appear to have thrown their support behind him following the speech in the European Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday morning.

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Handshaking and selfie-taking

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Carney’s popularity with European lawmakers became evident before his speech even began, with the MEPs already present in the hemicycle breaking into applause as the PM walked in.

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In fact, Carney’s address to the European Parliament was delayed by roughly ten minutes as dozens of European lawmakers huddled around to shake his hand, exchange some words and, occasionally, take a selfie.

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Video footage from the minutes before his address showed Carney surrounded by photographers as he made his way around the room and interacted with the other politicians.

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Sidney Crosby’s jersey makes an appearance

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Among the MEPs showing their support for Carney was Terry Reintke, a German politician and co-president of the Greens–European Free Alliance Group.

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She wore a Sidney Crosby Team Canada jersey and was all smiles as she posed for a picture with Carney before he spoke, while MEPs cheered in the background.

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Sharing a picture of them on social media shortly after, Reintke wrote: “Welcome bienvenue Canada,” accompanied by emojis depicting the Canada flag, the European flag and a red heart.

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