Iceland rejects EU accession talks in referendum | News

The ‘No’ camp garnered 52.8 p.c of the vote whereas the ‘Sure’ camp secured 47.2 p.c, public broadcaster RUV reviews.

⁠Icelanders have rejected a authorities ⁠⁠proposal to renew accession talks with the European Union, the ‌‌public broadcaster RUV reviews.

In a vote held on Saturday, 52.8 p.c of Icelanders voted “no” whereas 47.2 p.c voted “sure”, in keeping with official outcomes printed by RUV on Sunday.

“The nation rejects accession negotiations with the EU,” RUV reported.

Prime ⁠Minister Kristrun ⁠Frostadottir stated after the outcomes that her administration won’t transfer ahead with the talks however Reykjavik will proceed ⁠to strengthen its ⁠relationship with the European Financial ‌Space (EEA).

Iceland joined the EEA in1994, giving Reykjavik entry to the EU single market with out being an EU member state.

The end result offers a blow to Brussels, which had been desirous to welcome a brand new rich member and had expressed a willingness to compromise with Reykjavík on fisheries and different thorny points to facilitate its EU membership.

Nevertheless, a European Fee spokesperson stated in a press release that it respects the selection of the Icelandic folks and the nation stays a detailed companion of the EU.

Brussels had hoped to have the ability to current Icelandic membership for example of optimistic enlargement that would additionally make it extra palatable for member states to agree to absorb much less rich nations, similar to Montenegro.

Iceland’s authorities had framed its membership plan as a “now or by no means” second, and Frostadottir informed voters in August that voting “no” would put all EU hypothesis apart.

“Sure” campaigners stated becoming a member of the bloc may ease excessive rates of interest and provide extra safety in a world unsettled by warfare in Ukraine and United States President Donald Trump’s rhetoric ⁠⁠about annexing one other Arctic island, neighbouring Greenland.

“No” campaigners stated EU ⁠⁠membership would threaten Iceland’s sovereignty and its fishing business.

The business was fiercely against becoming a member of the bloc – 90 p.c of its corporations have been in opposition to the thought – and the EU had tried to woo them with a conciliatory strategy.

“Iceland’s distinctive specificities on fisheries and agriculture are well-known. They must be fastidiously thought-about,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos stated.

“I’m assured that along with EU member states we might discover artistic options.”

Frostadottir pledged that if Iceland rejected the resumption of entry talks, the EU membership situation wouldn’t be put again on the political agenda throughout her mandate, which ends in 2028.

The federal government additionally stated that within the occasion of a “no” vote, it might depart to parliament the query of whether or not to formally withdraw its EU membership software.

The small island within the North Atlantic is already carefully linked to the EU as a member of the EEA and the free-movement Schengen zone, and people ties will stay unchanged.

Whereas the referendum result’s technically nonbinding, the federal government has promised to respect it.

Iceland first utilized to affix the EU in 2009 when a monetary disaster hit the nation. A eurosceptic authorities ended accession talks 4 years later.