In an address in the European Parliament on Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly advocated the EU's enlargement and building a future-oriented geopolitical Union.

The European Union must change. We need a geopolitical European Union, enlarged, reformed and future-oriented, he said.

The important decision on building a geopolitical European Union was made last year by awarding candidate status to several countries and launching accession talks with some.

We have told citizens of Western Balkan countries, Ukraine, Moldova and ultimately Georgia, that they belong in the EU and that we want them to become a part of it, Scholz said.

He noted that this was not about altruism but about the economy and the EU’s credibility.

This is also about peace in Europe after the watershed moment of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Scholz said, noting that a fair enlargement policy is one of fulfillment of the promises given, primarily those to Western Balkan countries 20 years ago.

The success of the enlargement policy requires the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo and the continuation of reforms in the candidate countries, he said.