Icelandic voters have rejected a proposal to resume European Union (EU) accession negotiations, with 52.8% voting against and 47.2% in favour in a referendum held on 29 August. More than 82% of eligible voters participated, marking the country’s highest electoral turnout since 2009.
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir had brought forward the referendum amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty, although the campaign focused primarily on the future of Iceland’s fishing industry.
Many opponents argued that joining the EU could reduce national control over fishing waters under the bloc’s Common Fisheries Policy, while supporters highlighted potential economic and strategic benefits.
The result means Iceland will not reopen accession negotiations for now, though it does not prevent a future government from revisiting the issue. Iceland remains closely integrated with the EU through the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Schengen Area despite remaining outside the Union.
For the EU, the vote represents a setback to its wider enlargement agenda, which has gained renewed momentum since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
While accession negotiations continue with countries including Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, Iceland’s decision removes what many viewed as one of the bloc’s most straightforward potential accessions due to its longstanding alignment with EU legislation.
ℹ️ Euronews
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