COFFEE WITH MARK CARNEY...
COFFEE WITH MARK...
By Bernard Bujold -
The Canada-European Union Summit is officially taking place in Montreal this Thursday, October 29, and Friday, October 30, but even though the event is dominating media coverage—due to the refusal to grant Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon the right to speak—the location of the discussions as well as the venue for the dinner are being kept completely secret and have not been disclosed to the media. My friend Mark may be visiting Montreal, but there’s no way his local friends will be able to go say hello to him at the Summit and grab a coffee... Only a few official photographers and cameramen (press pools accredited on a very limited basis) are expected to be allowed a brief, few-seconds-long visit for a group photo or the opening remarks before being escorted back outside. The meal itself and the political discussions taking place there are held behind completely closed doors, far from cameras and notepads. Invitation cards and travel instructions are, in fact, sent to participants via secure and discreet channels at the last minute, precisely to avoid crowds, political disruptions, or security risks to heads of state. It is also this same level of secrecy and protocol-related tensions that characterized the discussions surrounding the organization and selection of guests for the official dinner.
So Paul and I will have to settle for watching the reports on TV that the organizers will release after the event—or Mark Carney’s press briefing—to find out if the meal was any good…
Stay tuned!
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/fr/meetings/international-summit/2026/10/29-30/
By Bernard Bujold -
The Canada-European Union Summit is officially taking place in Montreal this Thursday, October 29, and Friday, October 30, but even though the event is dominating media coverage—due to the refusal to grant Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon the right to speak—the location of the discussions as well as the venue for the dinner are being kept completely secret and have not been disclosed to the media. My friend Mark may be visiting Montreal, but there’s no way his local friends will be able to go say hello to him at the Summit and grab a coffee... Only a few official photographers and cameramen (press pools accredited on a very limited basis) are expected to be allowed a brief, few-seconds-long visit for a group photo or the opening remarks before being escorted back outside. The meal itself and the political discussions taking place there are held behind completely closed doors, far from cameras and notepads. Invitation cards and travel instructions are, in fact, sent to participants via secure and discreet channels at the last minute, precisely to avoid crowds, political disruptions, or security risks to heads of state. It is also this same level of secrecy and protocol-related tensions that characterized the discussions surrounding the organization and selection of guests for the official dinner.
So Paul and I will have to settle for watching the reports on TV that the organizers will release after the event—or Mark Carney’s press briefing—to find out if the meal was any good…
Stay tuned!
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/fr/meetings/international-summit/2026/10/29-30/
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