Svært jevnt før islendingene tar EU-valget

Norwegian voters face a tense referendum on EU membership. Recent opinion polls have shown an almost dead heat between the two camps. Bjarni Benediktsson, head of the business organization SA, told E24 last week that it is virtually impossible to predict the outcome. The EU debate has deepened the split in the population, according to multiple Icelandic people E24 spoke to. "I've heard of families who don't speak to each other," one said. "You have to be careful at the lunch table at work." "It's a bit extreme, actually."

It is already possible to pre-vote for the referendum, but voting day is Saturday, August 29th. A yes campaign has called its campaign "yes to see," as the referendum only determines whether to start negotiations. One of its main arguments is the need to stabilize the Icelandic economy and the desire to be closer to Europe in an unstable world.

Inflation in the country reached a whopping 5.3% in July, and the interest rate was raised to 8% last week. This has left many Icelanders with sky-high mortgage rates: they also want the island to have a seat at the table when the EU makes decisions. The "no" side disagrees that EU membership would improve Iceland's economy. They are also worried that Iceland would lose control over its fishing resources, which account for 20% of the country's exports.

Fiskkaup chief Ásbjörn Jónsson told E24 he fears the entire fishing industry could collapse in Iceland if the country joins the EU. He emphasized that the issue is not just about fishing quotas, but also about foreign ownership.

The voting stations will remain open until 10 PM Icelandic time, which is midnight in Norway, so we won't have to wait until Sunday night to find out the result.