Politics, trade on tap for Poilievre during trip to U.K. and Germany

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre chats with guests at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto on Thursday Feb. 26, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is planning his first official international trip as opposition leader next week, with plans to meet with parliamentary colleagues and business leaders in both London and Germany.

The trip comes just after he outlined his vision for Canada’s relationship with the United States, at a speech in Toronto on Thursday.

A press release listing Poilievre’s itinerary says the goal of the trip is to “reinforce and strengthen” business and diplomatic ties.

The itinerary shows Poilievre is set to meet with British MPs and members of the business community in London on Monday and Tuesday.

The Conservative leader is also scheduled to attend a CANZUK reception on Monday evening. CANZUK International is a body that promotes closer ties on trade, migration and foreign policy between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

He will conclude his time in London by delivering the Margaret Thatcher Lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies on Tuesday.

Poilievre’s office would not say at this point who exactly the Conservative leader is meeting with during the trip.

Poilievre heads to Berlin on Wednesday, where he will speak on the transatlantic relationship at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which is associated with the governing Christian Democratic Union.

He will also visit the port of Hamburg and a liquefied natural gas facility at the Jade-Wesser port on the North Sea coast.

Poilievre is expected to return to Canada next Sunday. The Conservative party says it is paying for the entire trip.

On Thursday Poilievre delivered a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto Thursday in which he directly denounced U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Canada and insisted on a stable relationship with the United States.

The speech also touched briefly on policies and trade with other countries, including India and China.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2026.

—With files from Sarah Ritchie.

The Canadian Press