Iceland votes in tight referendum on resuming EU accession talks

Iceland held a referendum on Saturday asking voters whether the country should resume negotiations to join the European Union, more than a decade after those talks were shelved. The latest opinion poll showed the contest razor-thin, with the No side edging ahead at 51.6%, reversing an earlier poll that had favoured Yes. Polls were open from 09:00 to 22:00 GMT, with results expected early Sunday. More than a fifth of Iceland's roughly 400,000 population had already voted early.

What's being decided

The ballot asks whether Iceland should restart EU accession negotiations. Iceland already participates in the EU single market and Schengen zone through the European Economic Area, but full membership would bring customs union status and eventually the euro. Of 35 negotiation chapters, 27 had already opened and 11 were provisionally closed before talks froze in 2013. A Yes result would not guarantee membership — any eventual deal would need a second referendum, parliamentary approval, a constitutional amendment, and sign-off from all 27 EU states.

The core dispute

Sovereignty and fishing rights dominated the debate. Fisheries and marine industries account for nearly 40% of Iceland's exports, and No campaigners fear losing control of fishing waters under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, seen as the biggest sticking point despite Brussels signalling possible exemptions. Yes campaigners point to economic strain — high interest rates and inflation — as reasons EU membership could help, even though Iceland ranks among the world's wealthiest nations per capita.

Security featured less prominently, even though Iceland has strongly backed Ukraine and voiced concern over increased Russian naval activity nearby. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir led the Yes campaign, arguing membership would reduce risk, while Independence Party leader Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir led the No side, framing the vote as a choice over ceding decision-making power on fisheries and agriculture to Brussels.