Iceland votes on whether to start EU membership talks
- 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.
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461 Articles
The "No" was voted. Icelanders rejected a resumption of EU accession negotiations, according to the final results of a...
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
inFranken.deSplit Island: Almost 53 percent of the population of Iceland are not interested in entering into new negotiations with Brussels.
Iceland will not continue its path towards membership in the European Union for now. In a referendum on Saturday, voters rejected the possibility of resuming accession negotiations with Brussels. According to preliminary results published by Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV, 52.5 percent of voters voted against continuing the negotiations, while 47.5 percent supported the possibility of their renewal. The advantage […] The post Icelanders reject…
In a referendum on the resumption of negotiations with the European Union (EU), Icelandic voters, according to preliminary data, voted against membership in the Community.
With almost all votes counted, 52.5 percent of voters voted against reopening accession negotiations with the European Union, while 47.5 percent voted in favor. The vote count is not yet complete.
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