António Costa Frames European Union Enlargement as a Strategic Investment

European Council President António Costa addressed the Euronews Enlargement Summit on November 3, 2026, arguing that expanding the European Union is a strategic investment rather than a burden. Euronews and AOL.com both report that Costa pointed to the 26 million jobs created since 2004 as evidence of the benefits of expansion. He also highlighted Montenegro's effort to join the bloc by 2028. [1][2][6]

Costa stated during his speech that he has made enlargement a strategic priority since the start of his mandate, according to Euronews. He said he has visited all candidate countries multiple times to work alongside their leaders, institutions, and civil society to advance the accession process. [1]

The European Union is a political and economic union comprising 27 member states, with a total population of just under 452 million as of 2026. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Costa is also preparing a budget compromise for a summit on November 26, 2026, following concerns from five European Commissioners about proposed cuts to global cooperation funding. [4][6]