Iceland voted ‘No’ to resuming membership negotiations with the European Union, final referendum results showed Sunday, dealing a heavy blow to Brussels which had been keen to welcome a new wealthy member.
In a vote held Saturday, 52.8 percent of Icelanders rejected the resumption of EU entry talks suspended 13 years ago, while 47.2 percent voted ‘Yes’, according to the official tally published by RUV, the public broadcaster.
The result will be a disappointment to Brussels, which had appeared willing to compromise on thorny issues to facilitate Iceland’s accession.
The result will also likely bury the EU question in Iceland until at least 2028.
The country of just under 400,000 people applied to join the EU in the wake of a 2009 financial crisis that devastated its economy.
Membership talks were then suspended in 2013 when a eurosceptic government came to power.
Amid growing international tensions, Iceland’s current government headed by Social Democratic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir wanted to sound out Icelanders on deepening their ties to the EU.
The small North Atlantic island is already closely linked to the EU as a member of the European Economic Area and the free-movement Schengen zone — ties which will remain unchanged.
Technically, the referendum result is non-binding but the government has vowed to respect it.
The government will hold a press conference on Sunday at 1:00 pm (1300 GMT) to present its plans.
Debates ahead of the vote had mainly revolved around domestic and economic issues, even if the war in Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s ambitions for neighbouring Greenland — which he has mixed up with Iceland on several occasions — featured in discussions. (AFP)
