Finally.

I don’t often follow politics. Too often, it feels like an endless stream of arguments, outrage, and short-term thinking. Still, I try to stay informed about what’s happening in the world, and today I did that by listening to Mark Carney‘s speech at the European Parliament.

What stayed with me most was not a specific proposal or a political victory. It was the feeling that these were leaders who are seriously thinking about the future. About cooperation. About stability. About what we want to leave behind for the next generation.

What happened? Yesterday Ursula von der Leyen set the tone. She spoke about closer ties between Canada and Europe. The exact nature of this new relationship was not yet clear, but at least part of it involved the word “member”. Imagine that: Canada, part of Europe. Today, Carney built on that vision convincingly and highlighted how much both sides have to offer. Next month, concrete steps will be taken. For Europe, that is impossibly fast, but there it is. When there is a will, there is a way. For the first time in a long time, I felt something that has become rare in politics: optimism.