Iceland to vote on restarting EU accession talks
Iceland will hold a nationwide referendum on Saturday to decide whether to reopen negotiations for EU membership, amid heightened geopolitical concerns and domestic debates over fisheries and sovereignty.
Iceland will hold a national referendum on Saturday asking voters whether the country should resume accession negotiations with the European Union. The vote comes after the left-leaning government, elected in 2024, accelerated the timetable in response to growing geopolitical tension linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine and U.S. statements about Greenland.
The referendum poses a single yes/no question: “Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?” About 265,000 of the island’s roughly 400,000 residents are eligible to vote. Polls are divided, with one Gallup survey indicating a slight majority against reopening talks while other recent polls show a narrow lead for the “yes” side.
Iceland already participates in the EU’s single market through the European Economic Area and is part of the Schengen free-travel zone, but it has never been a full member. The current debate is shaped by concerns over security and influence in the Arctic, where the United States, Russia and China are competing for strategic footholds.
"We can't really trust the US anymore," said horror-fiction writer Hildur Knutsdottir, who intends to vote in favor of EU membership.
Foreign Minister Þórgerður Gúñarsdóttir told Reuters that the international order supporting the country’s security and prosperity is under serious pressure and that small nations must consider their alliances carefully.
Opponents cite the EU’s common fisheries policy, fearing that Iceland’s lucrative cod and haddock stocks could be opened to foreign trawlers. The government says it could seek a full opt-out from that policy. Economic arguments focus on high inflation and interest rates, with some analysts suggesting EU membership and possible euro adoption could bring financial benefits.
Former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir warned that maintaining sovereignty is crucial for a small economy, emphasizing that Iceland already enjoys many benefits of European integration without full membership.
If the “yes” vote prevails, accession talks would be launched with the European Commission, covering about 35 policy areas. A foreign-ministry memo estimates negotiations could begin by year-end and last 18 to 24 months.