Iceland votes on whether to start EU membership talks
Polls show a razor-thin race as supporters say EU talks could ease high rates and boost security, while opponents warn of lost control over fisheries.
- On Saturday, Icelanders voted on whether to reopen European Union membership talks, with the nation of roughly 400,000 people deeply divided over sovereignty, fishing rights, and the cost of living.
- Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir advocates for reopening negotiations, citing security pressures in a shifting international order. Supporters argue membership could ease high inflation and interest rates, which stand at 8.00%.
- Former Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir warned on Thursday that "For a country like ours with our small economy, it's very important to maintain our sovereignty." Opponents fear membership would compromise control over fishing waters.
- Should voters approve, the decision would only initiate discussions with Brussels. Vilhjalmur Hilmarsson, chief economist at Viska, said membership "could become a catalyst to a more healthy economy" despite not solving structural faults.
- A foreign ministry memo estimates accession talks could span 18 to 24 months if negotiations resume by the end of 2026. A mandatory general election by November 2028 adds political uncertainty to any negotiating timeline.
297 Articles
297 Articles
If yes is won, an accession agreement with Brussels, which would have to be approved in a new referendum, will have to be negotiated.
Iceland Votes in Tight Referendum on EU Membership
Iceland is revisiting an old question this weekend, and the country appears almost perfectly split on the answer. Voters headed to the polls on Saturday to decide whether the government should restart talks on joining the European Union, a move that would reopen a process first launched in 2009 and...
On Saturday, voters in Iceland began to vote in a referendum on the relaunching of their country ' s accession negotiations to the European Union, amid polls indicating a great convergence between supporters and opponents of this move.
Iceland Votes on EU Membership Talks in Tightly Contested Referendum
Icelanders voted on Saturday on whether to reopen membership talks with the European Union. The public is divided on this issue, with a recent poll showing a slight majority against the government’s proposal for renewed negotiations, though previous surveys indicated support for talks. Proponents of joining the EU argue that it could help lower high […] The post Iceland Votes on EU Membership Talks in Tightly Contested Referendum appeared first …
Il Tempo
Reykjavik, 29 Aug. (askanews) - In Iceland we vote to decide whether to reopen the negotiations for membership of the European Union, suspended in 2013. The referendum is uncertain. According to the last Gallup poll, the no-side is 51.6%, the yes-side at 48.4%, a margin within the threshold of error. Premier Kristrún Frostadòttir voted in Reykjavik with her husband. If the yes wins, Reykjavik will be able to negotiate an agreement with Brussels.…
Iceland had already applied for EU membership in 2009, but the negotiations broke off in 2013. Trump's course towards Greenland has now led to a renewed rethink.
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