June 4, 2026
Eurovision, but make it geopolitics
EU should expand to 40 states – including Canada
Finland wants a mega-EU with Canada, and the comments are absolutely not calm
TLDR: Finland’s president wants the European Union to expand to 40 members and floated adding countries like Canada and bringing Britain closer again. Commenters were split between laughing at the idea, warning about empire-building, and saying Canada should stay independent while trade ties grow instead.
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb tossed a diplomatic grenade into the room by suggesting the European Union should grow from 27 countries to 40 — and yes, he name-dropped Canada, the U.K., Turkey, Norway, and Iceland. His pitch was simple: Europe needs to get bigger, faster, and stronger while war in Ukraine and chaos around U.S. politics are pushing countries to rethink their alliances. But online? People instantly turned this into a full-blown comments-section food fight.
The strongest reaction was basically: “Canada? Be serious.” One commenter said the whole idea made about as much sense as Australia being in Eurovision, which is both a joke and, somehow, a devastating political review. Others were less amused and more wary, accusing politicians of wanting to build empires and warning that knowing when to stop is a forgotten skill. The U.K. idea also reopened old Brexit wounds, with one commenter dryly asking whether Britain would be forced back in after voting to leave just a few years ago.
Then there was Turkey, which sparked a more serious split. Some argued Turkey makes more sense than Canada because it actually borders Europe, though only if its current strongman politics change. And amid all the expansion fever, a quieter camp said: forget a political union, just do bigger trade deals. In other words, Stubb was dreaming of a super-sized Europe — while the internet responded with memes, side-eyes, and a firm “maybe slow down.”
Key Points
- •Finnish President Alexander Stubb said the EU should consider expanding from 27 members to 40 states to increase its geopolitical scale and influence.
- •Stubb named the U.K., Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland as possible candidates for future EU membership or closer flexible arrangements.
- •He argued the current opportunity for enlargement may be short because momentum could weaken after the war in Ukraine ends or if the U.S. political context changes.
- •The article says the EU is already pursuing its largest enlargement in a generation, with nine candidate countries seeking entry.
- •Montenegro and Albania are identified as frontrunners in the Western Balkans, while Ukraine and Moldova are moving closer to formal membership talks.