Iceland has voted against restarting negotiations to join the European Union, rejecting the government’s proposal 13 years after talks were halted. According to public broadcaster RUV, 52.8% of 225,031 voters opposed resuming accession discussions, while 47.2% supported the move a margin of about 12,600 votes.
The centre‑left government of Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir had pledged to hold a referendum by 2027 but brought it forward amid rising international tensions, including concerns triggered by US President Donald Trump’s remarks about Greenland.
Despite those geopolitical issues, debate in Iceland a nation of nearly 400,000 people focused largely on the future of its fishing industry, a sector many fear could be constrained under EU rules.
With around 270,000 eligible voters, turnout reached 82.5%, the highest participation in any Icelandic election since 2009, RUV reported.
Iceland already participates in the EU single market and the Schengen border‑free zone, but full membership would require joining the customs union and eventually adopting the euro.
The country first applied to join the EU in 2009, following the collapse of its banking system during the global financial crisis. Talks were suspended in 2013 and never resumed until this referendum decisively rejected reopening them.
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