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Iceland Rejects Renewing European Union Membership Talks
(MENAFN) Icelandic voters have voted against reopening negotiations on European Union membership, with the proposal defeated by 52.8% to 47.2%, according to final referendum results released Sunday.
The final ballots, cast in the Southwest Constituency, were counted and announced at 10 am local time (1000GMT), confirming a narrow nationwide majority opposed to resuming the negotiations.
Voting patterns differed considerably across the country. Both constituencies in Reykjavik supported restarting the talks, with 57.5% voting Yes in Reykjavik North and 54.5% in Reykjavik South. The remaining constituencies rejected the proposal, including 62.9% in the Northwest, 61.2% in the Northeast, 60% in the South and 53% in the Southwest.
The referendum was held Saturday after years of debate over Iceland’s relationship with the EU. Voters were asked whether negotiations that had been suspended for more than a decade should resume, rather than whether the country should actually join the bloc.
A Yes vote would have given the government authority to restart the stalled accession process, while any future agreement on EU membership would still have needed to be approved through another referendum.
The European Movement, which supported reopening the negotiations, expressed disappointment with the result but highlighted that 47.2% of voters backed continuing the accession process. The group said it plans to continue efforts aimed at deepening relations between Iceland and the European Union.
The final ballots, cast in the Southwest Constituency, were counted and announced at 10 am local time (1000GMT), confirming a narrow nationwide majority opposed to resuming the negotiations.
Voting patterns differed considerably across the country. Both constituencies in Reykjavik supported restarting the talks, with 57.5% voting Yes in Reykjavik North and 54.5% in Reykjavik South. The remaining constituencies rejected the proposal, including 62.9% in the Northwest, 61.2% in the Northeast, 60% in the South and 53% in the Southwest.
The referendum was held Saturday after years of debate over Iceland’s relationship with the EU. Voters were asked whether negotiations that had been suspended for more than a decade should resume, rather than whether the country should actually join the bloc.
A Yes vote would have given the government authority to restart the stalled accession process, while any future agreement on EU membership would still have needed to be approved through another referendum.
The European Movement, which supported reopening the negotiations, expressed disappointment with the result but highlighted that 47.2% of voters backed continuing the accession process. The group said it plans to continue efforts aimed at deepening relations between Iceland and the European Union.
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