Iceland votes to reject EU accession talks: What happens next?

Iceland's people rejected the resumption of European Union membership talks in a recent referendum, according to official results published by RUV. A majority of 52.8 percent voted against restarting the negotiations, which had been suspended 13 years ago, while 47.2 percent supported the idea. This outcome is seen as a setback for Brussels, which had hoped to welcome Iceland as a new member.

The small island nation, with a population of just under 400,000, had applied to join the EU following a financial crisis in 2009. The EU negotiations had been suspended in 2013 due to a eurosceptic government taking power. The current government, led by Social Democratic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir, sought public opinion on the matter to gauge the nation's stance on strengthening ties with the EU.

Although the result is technically non-binding, the government has pledged to respect it. The government plans to hold a press conference on Sunday to outline its next steps. Debates surrounding the referendum mainly focused on domestic and economic issues, although the war in Ukraine and US President Donald Trump's ambitions for neighboring Greenland were also raised. The referendum result is likely to silence the EU question in Iceland for at least until 2028.