Icelanders rejected the reopening of European Union accession negotiations, with 52.8% voting "no" and 47.2% voting "yes" in the referendum held on Saturday. The final results were released on Sunday after all ballots were counted, with 118,040 votes against and 105,339 in favour. The centre-left government of Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir pledged to respect the advisory result.
Iceland submitted its accession candidacy following the 2008 global financial crisis, which led to the collapse of the country's banking sector. After years of negotiations stalled on the fisheries issue, Reykjavik sent a letter to Brussels in 2015 informing it that it no longer intended to join the bloc. The Icelandic economy recovered robustly and public support for EU entry had faded.
The referendum was originally scheduled for 2027, but was brought forward due to economic and geopolitical developments, namely US President Donald Trump's threats to take Greenland by force. The neighbouring territory gained strategic importance at a time when the Arctic is highly coveted due to rare minerals and new trade routes. The war in Ukraine and Trump's threats regarding Greenland, which he confused with Iceland on several occasions, gave the vote a geopolitical dimension.
The European Union stated it respects the decision of the Icelandic people. The European Commission spokesperson said Iceland "remains one of the closest and most trusted partners" of the 27. The President of the European Council, António Costa, reiterated this sentiment and exchanged messages with Frostadóttir, expressing the desire to continue strengthening relations between the EU and Iceland, which remains closely associated with the bloc through the European Economic Area and the Schengen area.
