Icelanders have narrowly rejected a proposal to resume membership negotiations with the European Union, dealing a serious political blow to Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir.
The “No” campaign won 52.8% of the vote, with constituencies outside the capital, Reykjavík, deciding the result. About 118,000 people opposed reopening the talks, while roughly 105,000 voted in favour. Turnout was high, as reported by Austrian Press Agency.
The result leaves Iceland closely connected to the EU but makes full membership unlikely in the near future. Frostadóttir had promised to respect the people’s decision. She had supported a “Yes” vote among the country’s approximately 270,000 eligible voters and hoped the referendum would not divide society.
“I know emotions have run high among some people,” she told Icelandic television as the votes were being counted. She added that many citizens were prepared to accept different outcomes.
Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009, during the financial crisis. Negotiations progressed for several years, but a eurosceptic government suspended the process after taking power in 2013.
Supporters of renewed talks argued that EU membership would give Iceland greater security in an uncertain world. Opponents said the country’s NATO membership and its defence agreement with the United States were enough to protect it. Concerns about US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats involving Greenland also failed to change the result.
The main issue, however, was fishing. Iceland already benefits from the European single market through the European Economic Area, but it has no vote in key EU decisions. Many voters feared that membership could weaken Iceland’s control over its fishing waters, an industry central to both the economy and national identity.
Iceland’s 2009 application remains formally active, although parliament may now consider withdrawing it. A second referendum would have been needed before final EU membership. That possibility now appears far away.
