Finland’s president has floated an unlikely idea: that Canada could one day join the European Union. Behind it lies a deeper question about what Europe is becoming.

In Canada, Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, said that the world is moving into a new order. In this shifting landscape, he is advancing a bold, even visionary argument: that Europe’s future may lie not only in strengthening itself, but in redefining its borders.

Speaking in Ottawa, where he has built close ties with Canada’s leadership, Stubb has emphasized the ease of that relationship, noting regular contact with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

As a recent joint statement put it, Finland and Canada are bound by more than trade or security interests. Their partnership rests on “values-based realism,” a shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and pragmatic cooperation in an unstable world, alongside respect for diversity and a recognition that global challenges demand collaboration beyond traditional alliances.

From this, Stubb draws a striking, if still hypothetical, conclusion. Canada, he suggests, could one day join the European Union—a “marriage made in heaven.”

"I think Canada in terms of its whole composure, its value base, is so close to the European Union that the least we can do is to forge a really close strategic partnership," he said.

A survey conducted in March 2026 suggests the idea may not be entirely fringe. One in four Canadians supports EU membership, while a majority says it is at least worth exploring. 

A northern axis

The idea may sound bold, but it is not as far-fetched as it seems. Finland and Canada have much in common. Both are Arctic countries. Both are members of NATO. Both live close to geopolitical tension: Finland next to Russia, Canada in a changing global order, where even territorial questions such as Greenland have resurfaced.

Their cooperation has grown stronger. Joint statements highlight a close partnership in security, trade, and technology. At a time when alliances are under pressure, this signals a move toward deeper ties.

Stubb’s remarks also reflect a wider shift in Europe. With war in Ukraine and changing American priorities, Europe is rethinking its role in the world.

Enlargement, reimagined

EU enlargement is normally limited to European countries that meet strict political and economic criteria. Stubb’s suggestion challenges that logic. What if values, not borders, defined Europe?

Canada would, by most measures, qualify. It is economically advanced, institutionally stable, and politically aligned. Trade ties with Europe are already deep.

Canada, too, could have reasons to look east. Closer ties with Europe would diversify its economic and security partnerships, reducing reliance on the United States amid shifting American priorities. Recent discussions in Canada suggest a growing unease about that dependence, as political signals from Washington become less predictable.

Yet the obstacles are significant. Geography remains a barrier. Public opinion on both sides of the Atlantic would be uncertain. Institutional questions would multiply.

More interestingly, Stubb’s proposal reframes the debate: not whether Europe should expand, but what Europe is.