Iceland’s Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir has warned that the country’s upcoming EU referendum campaign risks becoming a “Brexit moment”, citing concerns over misinformation, AI-generated content and potential foreign interference.
Icelanders will vote on 29 August 2026 on whether the government should resume accession talks with the European Union, with debates intensifying over sovereignty, fishing rights, trade and security cooperation.
Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir accused individuals and groups from inside and outside the country of “fearmongering”, saying Iceland was being hit with misinformation and rhetoric taken “from the playbook of Nigel Farage and Reform”.
She said the referendum was at risk of being a target for Russia and “actors who seek to influence our public debate in a negative way”. Foreign interference and the spread of misinformation could end up affecting the result, the minister warned.
“I am fearing that we will face a Brexit moment,” she told the Guardian. “That would be, from my point of view, a rather dangerous path because … there were all kinds of lies put forward by the Brexiteers.” She cited disputed figures used by the leave campaign over how much money the UK sent to the EU.
Þorgerður said Brexit “should be an example of how not to run a campaign” rather than something to be emulated. “Nothing of what they promised has actually been activated or realised,” she said.
Key developments include:
- Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir said foreign influence from any country would “not be tolerated”.
- President Halla Tómasdóttir warned AI could rapidly spread misleading but credible-looking content.
- Researchers at the University of Iceland raised concerns about unreliable AI-generated referendum information.
If voters approve renewed talks with the EU, Iceland would later hold a second referendum on any final membership agreement.
ℹ️ The Guardian
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
tut0ugh 