Iceland has said no to reopening negotiations on joining the European Union, and the blow is a painful one.
By a narrow margin of 52.8% to 47.2%, Icelandic voters rejected the idea of restarting the accession process that was put on hold in 2013.
While the referendum was not a direct vote on EU membership itself, Icelanders have essentially closed the door, at least for the foreseeable future, depriving the bloc of a promising potential new member with a relatively easy path to joining.
And even though Iceland is already deeply integrated with the EU through the European Economic Area and the Schengen area, the decision not to restart talks comes at a fragile moment for the bloc.
Brussels is urgently trying to project strategic strength in the Arctic region in the face of a belligerent US administration, while its enlargement strategy struggles to deliver tangible results in Eastern Europe.
