Iceland votes against restarting talks on joining EU

Iceland's 225,031 voters rejected the government's proposal to restart talks on joining the European Union with a 52.8% majority, according to public broadcaster RUV. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's centre-left administration initially planned to hold a referendum by 2027 but expedited the process due to international tensions, including threats from US President Donald Trump against Greenland.

However, the debate in Iceland was more focused on its fishing industry than security concerns. With 82.5% of the eligible 270,000 voters participating in the referendum, it marked the highest turnout in any election since 2009. The island nation, already part of the EU's single market and Schengen zone, sought EU membership to gain access to the customs union and eventually the euro.

The main issue preventing membership was Iceland's fishing rights, which would be affected under the EU's common fisheries policy. The referendum question read: "Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?" A 'Yes' vote would not have been a final decision but a step towards an accession agreement, which would then need approval in a second referendum.

Iceland's security concerns also played a role, as the country is a NATO member with no military and relies on allies for defense. Iceland's support for Ukraine during Russia's invasion and worries over Russia's growing naval presence near the island added further concerns. The referendum result does not rule out the possibility of resuming talks in the future, but the economic and fishing issues remained at the forefront of the debate.