Iceland’s parliament will ‘discuss’ withdrawing EU bid after failed referendum

Iceland's parliament is set to debate the possibility of withdrawing the country's bid to join the European Union after a referendum saw a majority of voters reject restarting accession talks. According to a vote count released on Sunday morning, 52.8 percent of Icelandic citizens voted against the government's proposal to resume negotiations with the EU bloc, while 47.2 percent backed the move.

The turnout for the referendum was an impressive 82.5 percent. In response to the referendum results, Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir stated that the government would discuss with the parliamentary foreign affairs committee on how to best address the situation, but emphasized that no firm decisions would be made. She reiterated that the referendum outcome would be respected, and that no further EU accession negotiations would be pursued during the current ruling government's term.

The prime minister also mentioned that EU accession issues were likely to be a topic during the upcoming general elections. Iceland's EU bid began in 2009, but talks collapsed in 2013, though the application was never officially withdrawn. The referendum result is seen as a significant setback for the government, as it had banked considerable political capital on securing a mandate to reopen negotiations.

However, political experts believe the government will likely survive the loss. Experts attribute the "no" vote to a technically sound and unemotional campaign that persuaded voters to favor the status quo. European political figures, including a member of the European Parliament and a spokesperson for the European Commission, have called the result a "warning" for Europe to take note.