Icelanders rejected the resumption of accession negotiations with the European Union, according to the final results of the referendum published on Sunday. In the vote held on Saturday, 52.8% of voters answered "no" to the question of whether Iceland should resume EU accession negotiations, while 47.2% voted "yes." The official count was released by public broadcaster RUV after all votes were tallied.
The result represents a setback for Brussels, which looked favorably on the prospect of a candidacy from the prosperous North Atlantic island. The referendum took place after the Icelandic government suspended EU accession negotiations in 2015, during the financial crisis that affected the country.
