Iceland Plans Referendum on Resuming EU Membership Talks

(MENAFN) Iceland will organize a nationwide referendum in the coming months to determine whether the country should restart accession discussions with the European Union, Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir announced Wednesday.

Speaking at a joint press appearance in Warsaw with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Frostadottir emphasized that such a major foreign policy decision must ultimately be decided by the Icelandic public. She reaffirmed her administration’s view that voters should have the final say on whether to reopen membership negotiations.

Tusk voiced clear backing for Iceland potentially joining the bloc, stating that EU membership remains available if Iceland chooses that path. "I would be very happy if Iceland, Norway and other countries in Europe became part of the same empire as Poland," he said.

Iceland’s EU bid has been effectively frozen since 2015, when authorities withdrew the country’s 2009 application. The decision followed disagreements related to fishing rights and concerns over preserving national sovereignty.

Although Iceland continues to participate in the European Economic Area and the Schengen Area, domestic discussions have persisted over economic matters, including inflation and the performance of the national currency, the Icelandic krona.

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