Icelandic Voters Reject Proposal to Resume European Union Accession Talks

Voters in Iceland have rejected a proposal to resume negotiations on joining the European Union, dealing a setback to the government’s push for closer ties with the 27-country bloc. With almost all votes counted, the “no” side was ahead by 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent, according to national broadcaster RUV. Official results have not been announced yet.

The result is not a vote on EU membership itself, but on whether Iceland should reopen accession negotiations that were suspended more than a decade ago. The government had argued that renewed talks could help Iceland confront growing economic and geopolitical pressures, including tensions over Arctic security. Opponents of accession instead focused on protecting Iceland’s fishing waters and general sovereignty-related issues that would arise if the country became part of the bloc.

In 2009, Iceland applied to join the EU following a financial crisis that severely affected its economy, but negotiations were suspended in 2013 after a eurosceptic government came to power. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and her coalition government have vowed to respect the nonbinding referendum result, meaning accession talks are unlikely to resume during the current term running until 2028.