Brussels Discovers Australia Exists After Eight Years of Not Returning Calls

SMH · Brittany Busch, Nick Newling · Tuesday 24 March 2026

Brussels Discovers Australia Exists After Eight Years of Not Returning Calls

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits Canberra to finalise the long-stalled Australia-EU free trade agreement, becoming the first woman to address a joint sitting of parliament.

It took eight years to negotiate a trade deal with a continent that was, until last month, perfectly happy to ignore us. Trump slaps tariffs on Europe and suddenly Brussels discovers Australia exists — von der Leyen didn't fly eighteen thousand kilometres for our company, she flew to diversify her options. We're not the bride at this wedding. We're the rebound.

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