LONDON — The European Union now consists of 27 states, with more states in the Balkans and Eastern Europe jockeying to join. Turkey is a candidate for membership. There would be benefits for the EU from further expansion, including more trade, improvements in democratic institutions and the protection of human rights, but the French and German governments are far from enthusiastic about expansion.
The French in particular are opposed to the entry of Turkey, an Islamic but secular country. The failure of the two latest member countries, Romania and Bulgaria, to suppress corrupt practices and clean up their judicial procedures has been criticized.
Although EU subsidies could in theory be withheld from both countries, the EU has less leverage with states whose membership has been accepted than it does with candidate members.