Finland’s president says EU should expand to 40 states Finnish President Alexander Stubb advocates for a significant enlargement of the European Union, proposing an expansion to approximately 40 member states to enhance its global power projection. He identified potential candidates including the UK, Canada, Turkey, Norway, and Iceland, emphasizing the current “window of opportunity” driven by geopolitical shifts. Stubb stressed that enlargement has historically been the most effective European policy for achieving “European strategic autonomy.”

• Finnish President Alexander Stubb has proposed expanding the European Union to around 40 member states.
• He believes enlargement is crucial for the EU to “think big” and project power globally.
• Potential candidates for membership include the U.K., Canada, Turkey, Norway, and Iceland.
• Stubb highlighted a short “window of opportunity” for enlargement due to the war in Ukraine and potential changes in the U.S. administration.
• He noted that the EU is already pursuing its largest enlargement in a generation with nine candidate countries.
• Stubb specifically suggested reconsidering Turkey for membership due to security perspectives.
• He also pointed to the importance of the Western Balkans and Nordic countries like Iceland and Norway.
• The idea of Canada joining the EU was presented as an alternative to its current relationship with the United States.