- Icelandic voters rejected resuming EU membership talks by 52.8% to 47.2% in a referendum
- Iceland's fishing industry strongly opposed EU talks fearing loss of control over waters
- Iceland benefits from EU ties through the EEA and Schengen without full membership
Icelandic voters have rejected a proposal to restart negotiations on European Union membership, with 52.8% voting against resuming the talks and 47.2% backing the proposal, according to final results reported by public broadcaster RUV and cited by AFP.
The referendum was held on Saturday, more than a decade after Iceland suspended its earlier negotiations to join the European Union.
The result is expected to put the country's long-running EU membership debate on the back burner, with AFP reporting that the issue is unlikely to return to Iceland's political agenda until at least 2028.
Around 265,000 people were eligible to vote in the referendum, which asked a straightforward question: Should Iceland resume negotiations on joining the European Union?
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir had backed the proposal and brought the referendum forward from its originally planned date next year.
According to the Associated Press, the government decided to hold the vote earlier amid rising geopolitical tensions and US President Donald Trump's repeated references to Greenland. Trump has also mistakenly referred to Greenland as Iceland on previous occasions.
The referendum marks another setback for supporters of Iceland's EU membership bid. The country began accession negotiations with the bloc in 2010, but the talks were suspended in 2015 before being formally put on hold.
Why Did Iceland Voters Say No To EU Talks?
Iceland's powerful fishing industry was one of the biggest reasons behind opposition to restarting EU membership talks.
The sector has long been concerned that joining the European Union could bring Iceland's waters under the bloc's common fisheries policy and give fishing fleets from other European countries greater access.
According to AFP, around 90% of companies in Iceland's fisheries sector were opposed to EU membership.
The fishing industry also carries deep historical and national importance in Iceland. The country fought several disputes with Britain over fishing rights in the 1970s, known as the "Cod Wars", as it sought to protect its control over its waters.
Opponents of restarting EU negotiations also argued that Iceland already enjoys several advantages of close economic ties with the bloc without being a member.
Iceland is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), which gives it access to the EU's single market. It is also part of the Schengen free-travel area. Supporters of this arrangement say it allows Iceland to benefit from closer integration with Europe while retaining greater control over sensitive areas such as fisheries.
Opponents of EU membership also said Iceland would have more freedom to negotiate its own trade agreements outside the bloc.
They argued that staying out of the EU would allow the country to retain greater control over its domestic affairs, rather than having its interests represented through the larger European Parliament.
What Were The Arguments For EU Membership?
Supporters of restarting EU membership talks argued that closer integration with the bloc could bring economic and financial benefits to Iceland.
They said joining the EU could help bring down inflation and interest rates, while adopting the euro could offer greater monetary stability compared with Iceland's volatile króna.
Supporters also pointed to the benefits of closer cooperation with European neighbours on issues that cross national borders, including climate change.
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Geopolitical concerns were another factor in the debate. Iceland is a member of NATO, and supporters of EU membership argued that stronger ties with other European countries could provide greater solidarity and security at a time of heightened tensions.
Those concerns have grown amid US President Donald Trump's repeated statements about taking control of Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
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