In a recent referendum concerning the resumption of EU accession talks, the ‘No’ campaign prevailed. After counting the vast majority of votes, the opposition reached 52.5% of the vote on Sunday, while 47.5% supported restarting the negotiations. This result was slightly clearer than anticipated. While final results from one electoral district were still pending, the public broadcaster RÚV concluded that the opponents’ lead was insurmountable.
Iceland and the EU are closely interconnected, stemming from Iceland’s membership in the European Economic Area and its participation in the Schengen Area. The country had previously been an EU candidate between 2010 and 2015. At that time, the withdrawal of the accession application was justified by the reasoning that Iceland’s interests were better served outside of the EU.
However, recent events, including threats from US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland and the ongoing war in Ukraine, have recently generated new momentum for resuming the process. A neck-and-neck contest between both sides was expected in the referendum. Those opposing EU membership specifically highlighted the economically crucial fishing sector, which would likely face stronger external regulation following accession.
