Brussels will be reeling after a majority of Icelanders voted against restarting accession talks with the bloc.
Voters in Iceland rejected a referendum which would have restarted talks to join the European Union (Image: Getty)
Iceland has rejected a referendum which would have restarted talks to join the European Union more than a decade after previous talks died. The country’s national broadcaster, RUV, reported on Sunday (August 30) that the vote against the EU led 52.5% to 47.5% as all but one constituency fully reported results.
A eurosceptic government ended EU talks in 2015. RÚV said it was almost impossible the remaining votes to be counted in the southwest could reverse the result. The vote on Saturday was held in the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to control nearby Greenland. That drove some voters to favour the idea of European solidarity.
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Donald Trump mistakenly named Iceland four times while speaking about his designs on Greenland (Image: Getty)
Although Iceland is a NATO member, supporters said they would have greater protection from their neighbours if Mr Trump ever made similar threats toward the island nation.
Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, brought forward the EU referendum it had planned for next year after Mr Trump mistakenly named the country four times while speaking about his designs on Greenland.
It was a simple yes-or-no question for roughly 265,000 eligible voters: Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?
Opponents rallied around fishing and the fact Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone without the sovereignty compromises that come with full membership.
They argued Iceland’s voice would be muted in the large European Parliament and it would be better off cutting its own trade deals, such as one with China.
Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir at a polling station in Hafnarfjordur (Image: Getty)
Backers argued that EU membership would lower inflation and interest rates. They also said the euro would bring more stability than Iceland’s volatile króna.
Supporters of a referendum said it was also in the nation’s interest to get closer to its European neighbours to tackle issues which don’t respect borders, such as climate change.
The result of the vote puts the long-debated issue to rest for a second time.
Iceland’s former president, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, said: “The nation has spoken: A clear no to the proposed EU journey.”
In the UK, the result was welcomed by Brexiteers, including Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, and fellow MPs Richard Tice and Andrew Rosindell.
Mr Farage congratulated Iceland on voting to keep its independence while Mr Tice said: “Common sense from voters in Iceland. Thanks but no thanks to joining EU. Take note Remoaners.”
In a post on X, Mr Rosindell said: “Good news this morning from Iceland as the people of that proud independent nation reject EU membership. The right decision!”