Iceland voters reject EU accession referendum by 53% to 47%
A majority of Icelandic voters opposed restarting EU membership talks, with 52.8% voting against the proposal, according to the national broadcaster.
Icelandic voters turned down a referendum to resume negotiations for European Union membership, with 52.8% rejecting the measure and 47.2% supporting it, the public broadcaster RÚV reported. The result ends a decade-long debate that began after a euroskeptic government halted talks in 2013. Reykjavik was the only municipality where a majority backed the proposal.
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, who campaigned for the “yes” side, said she hoped the outcome would not divide the country and noted that “tempers run high for some people, but I have now spent time with a large group of people from all over the country and people are quite open to different outcomes.”
Opponents cited concerns over sovereignty, the fishing industry’s exposure to the EU’s common fisheries policy, and the belief that Iceland already enjoys access to the EU single market and Schengen area without full membership. Supporters argued that EU accession could lower inflation, stabilize the currency and enhance cooperation on cross-border challenges such as climate change.
The referendum, a simple yes-or-no question for roughly 265,000 eligible voters, was moved forward after President Donald Trump’s remarks about Greenland raised questions about regional security, prompting some to view EU ties as a safeguard. If approved, the vote would have initiated a new round of negotiations with the European Commission, with any final agreement requiring further parliamentary approval.