Icelanders vote 52.8% to 47.2% against resuming EU membership negotiations

The ballot question read: “Should Iceland resume negotiations on accession to the European Union?” A total of 52.8% of voters opposed restarting the talks, while 47.2% voted in favor, a margin of about 12,700 votes. RUV said results were in from all districts.

The capital, Reykjavik, was the only area in the island nation of 400,000 people where a majority voted yes, AP reported.

On the morning of Aug. 30, the BBC reported that early results showed a tight race, with only 435 votes separating the “no” and “yes” camps. The vote against restarting talks does not rule out their resumption in the future.

The center-left government of Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir had planned to hold the referendum by 2027 but moved it up amid international tensions, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland.

Supporters of EU membership argued that joining the bloc could provide greater security amid Russia’s war against Ukraine and Trump’s aggressive rhetoric, CNN reported.

Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009, when its small economy was hit by the financial crisis. However, a Euroskeptic government halted negotiations in 2013.

The BBC noted that Iceland is already part of the EU single market and the tariff-free Schengen Area. Joining the EU would allow the country to enter the customs union and eventually the eurozone.

This year’s debate focused largely on the fishing industry. The BBC reported that fishing accounts for nearly 40% of Iceland’s exports, and many voters who opposed restarting the talks feared the country would have to surrender some control over its fish-rich waters to the EU.

Security concerns also played an important role ahead of the referendum, the BBC reported, because Iceland has no military of its own and relies on allies for defense. Local officials are concerned about increasingly frequent Russian naval maneuvers near the island, as well as Trump’s threats to annex Greenland.