Landmark referendum: Icelanders vote against EU accession talks
The Icelandic population will decide on the country's future course in relation to the EU. The referendum, which will set a precedent, has a narrow outcome.
Icelanders have voted against resuming talks on joining the EU, with 52.8% to 47.2% of votes cast against. Around 12,000 more people voted against continuing negotiations, which were halted 13 years ago, than voted for them. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir had said she would abide by the result of the referendum, in which around 270,000 Icelanders were eligible to vote. The country's application for EU membership was initially submitted in 2009, but put on hold after the 2013 parliamentary election.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
