The Icelanders rejected resuming accession negotiations with the European Union, according to the final results of the referendum published this Sunday.
In response to the question “Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?”, 52.8% of voters answered “no”, while 47.2% opted for “yes” in the consultation held on Saturday.
According to the official count released by the public broadcaster RUV, after the scrutiny of all votes, turnout reached 82.5%, the highest figure since the 2009 legislative elections, held after the economic crisis that shook the country and toppled the government.
Supporters of resuming talks with Brussels were ahead for much of the count, but the trend began to change during the final hours.
Iceland had applied for membership in the European Union in 2009, but halted negotiations four years later, amid a climate hostile to Brussels. Subsequently, the government formed after the 2013 elections announced in 2015 that the Nordic country was no longer a candidate.
The center-left coalition governing since 2024 had included in its pact the call for a referendum to decide whether to continue the process, arguing that there had never been a consultation.
In the event of a “yes” victory, another referendum on a possible agreement reached by Reykjavik and Brussels had been promised.
The discussion prior to the referendum was marked by issues such as national sovereignty, control of natural resources, especially fishing, and the cost of living, in a context of uncertainty due to the annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to neighboring Greenland.
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