Icelanders rejected on Saturday the reopening of negotiations for a potential accession to the European Union, with 52.8% of voters voting against and 47.2% in favour. The final results were announced by Icelandic public television RÚV after the vote count concluded. The question posed to voters was straightforward: "Should Iceland reopen accession negotiations with the EU?". The referendum was consultative in nature, but Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's government had committed to respecting the voters' decision.
Iceland is not an EU member but is part of the European Economic Area and the Schengen area. The formal application was made in 2009, following a financial crisis that heavily impacted the Icelandic economy. Negotiations were ultimately suspended in 2013, after a Eurosceptic government came to power. The referendum result now again rules out the possibility of resuming that process.
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, who voted in favour of reopening negotiations, stated after voting that she would accept a "no" victory and would not promote accession again during the current term, which ends in 2028. The referendum took place in a context marked by geopolitical changes, including the war in Ukraine and Donald Trump's statements about Greenland, which added an external dimension to the consultation beyond economic and domestic issues.
Among the most sensitive topics of a potential accession was fishing, a sector with economic weight and importance in Icelandic national identity. According to the Lusitanian news agency, 90% of the sector's companies were against accession. The EU showed openness, with Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos stating that Iceland's specificities regarding fishing and agriculture would be carefully examined. With the "no" victory, any discussion about resuming negotiations should remain suspended for the coming years.
