What’s the benefit to institutions like the European Union of having poorer states join?

Question

How do less economically wealthy states help institutions like the European Union and why are they needed?

Edit: apologise for the awfully written title

In: 12

Answer 1

Its a political issue. You don’t want your neighbors aligning with enemy powers such as China/Russia.

Also, they work as a buffer zone. Like for example, inmigration. You don’t want the bad press of Germany erecting walls and sending inmigrants back. But that’s the perfect job for Greece.