Icelanders have voted against restarting accession negotiations with the European Union, with public broadcaster RUV reporting that 52.8% of voters rejected the proposal, while 47.2% supported it. This decision comes 13 years after talks were initially put on hold. The referendum saw a high turnout of 82.5% of eligible voters, indicating the significance of the issue to the nation of almost 400,000 people.
The primary concern for 'No' voters was the protection of Iceland's fishing industry and its sovereign control over its lucrative fishing grounds, which account for almost 40% of its exports. Many feared that joining the EU would mean ceding control to the EU's common fisheries policy. Despite assurances from EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos about considering Iceland's unique specificities on fisheries and agriculture, these concerns ultimately swayed public opinion.
The outcome is a setback for Brussels, which had hoped to welcome a new wealthy member and demonstrate positive enlargement. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's center-left government had pushed for the referendum, bringing it forward due to international tensions and framing membership as a shield against trade wars and Arctic rivalry. However, Frostadóttir has vowed that if the 'No' vote prevailed, the EU membership issue would not be revisited during her mandate, which ends in 2028.
While security concerns, including US President Donald Trump's threats against Greenland, were part of the government's argument, the debate largely centered on economic issues, particularly the fishing industry, and national sovereignty. A 'Yes' vote would not have been a final decision on joining the EU, but a step towards an accession agreement that would require a second referendum.
