Iceland voters reject resuming EU accession talks, parliament to weigh in on bid's future

Icelanders have voted against reopening negotiations to join the European Union in a national referendum held over the weekend. According to a vote count reported Sunday morning by national broadcaster RÚV, 52.8 percent of voters rejected resuming accession talks, while 47.2 percent supported the move, with turnout reaching 82.5 percent.

Social Democratic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir told a press conference on Sunday that the government would discuss with parliament's foreign affairs committee how to proceed, but stressed that no firm decision on closing the matter has yet been made. She said the referendum result would be respected and that no further accession negotiations would take place during the current government's term, adding that EU membership was likely to become a topic in the next general election. Frostadóttir did not specify when the issue would be brought before parliament.

Iceland first opened accession talks with the EU in 2009, but negotiations stalled in 2013. The application was never formally withdrawn. Frostadóttir also said the outcome would not affect her position as prime minister, describing the referendum as not a party-political matter, despite her own support for resuming talks.

Eiríkur Bergmann, a politics professor at Bifröst University, described the result as a heavy blow for the government, saying the coalition would emerge significantly weakened domestically after investing considerable political capital in seeking a mandate to reopen negotiations. He added, however, that the government would likely survive. Bergmann attributed the win for the "no" side largely to a technical, passionless campaign that left voters favoring the safety of the status quo.

Sandro Gozi, a member of the European Parliament and secretary-general of the European Democratic Party, called the result a warning that Europe should heed, noting that the EU's appeal remains strong but should never be taken for granted. A European Commission spokesperson said the Commission respects the choice of the Icelandic people and that Iceland remains a close partner of the EU.