Iceland will not resume accession negotiations with the European Union after 58.2% of voters rejected the measure in Saturday's referendum.
The referendum result represents a significant setback in the rapprochement process between Iceland and the EU, which had already been suspended previously.
The decision raises doubts about the EU's ability to attract stable and prosperous democracies to join the European bloc for reasons that are not merely financial.
The high rejection rate demonstrates that the Icelandic population chose to maintain distance from European integration, opting to preserve its independence from the European Union.
