Iceland EU membership referendum 2026
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Iceland votes in EU membership referendum
A No vote would not rule out the possibility of Iceland resuming EU talks in the future.
A eurosceptic government came to power in 2013 and put Iceland's EU accession talks on hold.
Iceland began its application to join the EU in 2009 following the 2008 financial crisis and the collapse of Iceland's banking system.
Iceland votes on whether to restart EU accession talks
Iceland moved to start accession talks in 2009, only to bring them to a halt in 2013.
Brussels has indicated Iceland could earn some kind of exemption from the Common Fisheries Policy, but it is considered potentially the biggest obstacle to any agreement.
The Yes campaign team was headed by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and the No campaign was led by Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, chair of the opposition Independence Party.
Iceland votes on restarting EU talks
Icelanders are voting on whether their country should reenter negotiations to join the European Union.
Iceland is a founding member of NATO with a 75-year defence treaty with the US, but has no standing armed forces of its own.
An earlier survey by pollster Maskina showed a narrow majority of 51.3 percent of respondents backing new EU accession talks.
Iceland EU referendum voting closes
The referendum did not have exit polls.
Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir said the referendum day was a great day and that Icelanders had been waiting years to vote.
Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009 amid a financial crisis.
Iceland Voters Reject Proposal to Reopen EU Accession Negotiations
Iceland is a founding member of NATO without any military forces of its own.
In the referendum on resuming EU accession talks, 52.8 percent of voters voted against resuming negotiations while 47.2 percent voted in favor.
Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir pledged not to put the EU membership issue back on the political agenda during her term ending in 2028 if voters rejected resuming talks.
“It is clear that the international system we have lived in since the end of World War II is in turmoil,”
Iceland Holds Referendum on Resuming EU Membership Negotiations
Iceland previously attempted to join the European Union in 2009.
Iceland's last attempt to join the EU was shelved in 2015.
Iceland gained independence from Denmark in 1944.
“For a country like ours with our small economy, it's very important to maintain our sovereignty and not to transfer more power than we would have to do to the EU,”
Former Iceland prime minister dismisses EU referendum relevance
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson's opposition party currently polls at around 15 percent.
The leader of Iceland’s Centre Party doesn’t think his country’s upcoming referendum binds Reykjavík to reopening discussions on joining the EU — even if voters back the “Yes” campaign.
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson was Iceland's prime minister when the country dropped its previous bid to join the EU in 2015 over the issue of fishery quotas.
Trump's Greenland fixation shapes Iceland's EU vote debate
Iceland's coalition government must hold its next general election no later than August 2028.
Iceland is a member of the Schengen Area, which allows passport-free travel between it and other participating European countries.
Trump appeared to repeatedly mix up Greenland and Iceland during a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“It is clear that the international system we have lived in since the end of World War II is in turmoil,”
Iceland holds knife-edge EU referendum
Iceland held a referendum on whether to resume talks on joining the EU on a Saturday.
A Yes vote would start negotiations with Brussels, but a second referendum would be required to greenlight any final membership deal.
Fish and marine industries account for almost 40% of Iceland's exports.