The Icelanders voted in a referendum against opening accession negotiations with the European Union. The result represented a victory for opponents of European integration in the Nordic country.
The Icelandic prime minister had made several public interventions in the preceding weeks advocating a vote in favor of accession. Despite the defeat, the leader stated she was not hurt by the result.
Iceland is a member of the European Free Trade Association and was not part of the European Union. The referendum decided to maintain that position.
