The Breakdown of the European Union The European Union will have a total of 27 member states in 2021. Since its founding, the EU has thus grown from 6 states by an initial 22 states. With the exit of Great Britain, the number has decreased again. The expansive and aggressive eastward expansion, driven by the majority Socialist parties in the EU Parliament, has created a host of problems that may and hopefully will lead to the failure of the Union. The attempt of the socialists to force the new countries into a multicultural, multilateral and globalist corset has become a nightmare for the citizens of the European Union.