Majority in Iceland opposes EU accession talks

In Iceland, not all of the votes in the referendum have been counted yet, but according to Icelandic radio it is already clear that the arguments of those opposed to EU accession are more convincing than those of those in favor of it.

In Iceland, a majority voted against resuming accession talks with the EU. Icelandic Radio reported this on Sunday. In Reykjavík, by far the largest city, the majority of citizens voted for a resumption of talks, but by a much smaller margin than expected.

On Sunday morning, all votes except those in the southwest constituency of the country had been counted. According to Icelandic Radio, opponents of resuming talks with the EU were ahead with around 52.5 percent at the time. “It seems certain that this will not bring the yes side enough votes to make up for the deficit it has built up,” the broadcaster said.

Iceland's Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said on election night that this vote was not about her person or other government representatives, but about the interests of her country. Shortly before the referendum, she reached out more than ever before to the camp of those opposed to EU accession and assured that Iceland would retain full sovereignty over the fishing issue in the negotiations. However, how this was to be done remained unclear.

Opponents of accession, including the influential fishing industry, had previously warned that Iceland would inevitably lose control over its fan areas and catches if it joined the EU. The agricultural lobby also warned that many companies could be forced to give up if they joined the EU because they would not be competitive due to the harsh weather conditions.

From the perspective of opponents of joining the EU, Iceland, as a member of the European Economic Union, already has everything it needs economically, but due to its independence as a non-member of the EU, it can independently protect its rights, for example in fishing. Iceland broke off talks about joining in 2013, but the government now wants them to be resumed.

Proponents of accession argued that it would lead to a rapid fall in the cost of food, for example. The central argument was also security. Iceland has no military of its own, and increasing tensions in the Arctic and an increasingly unpredictable partner, the United States, also sparked concerns on the island. Clearly, however, these concerns did not outweigh the arguments of opponents.