The ‘No’ camp garnered 52.8 percent of the vote while the ‘Yes’ camp secured 47.2 percent, public broadcaster RUV reports.⁠Icelanders have rejected the government’s ⁠⁠proposal to resume accession talks with the European Union, reported the ‌‌public broadcaster RUV.In a vote held on Saturday, 52.8 percent of Icelanders voted ‘No’, while 47.2 percent voted ‘Yes’, according to official results published by RUV on Sunday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Vote count under way in Iceland’s knife-edge EU referendumlist 2 of 3Iceland rejects EU accession talks in referendumlist 3 of 3Iceland votes in a tight race on whether to resume talks to join the EUend of list“The nation rejects accession negotiations with the EU,” RUV reported.The result deals a blow to Brussels, which had been keen to welcome a new wealthy member and had expressed a willingness to compromise with Reykjavík on fisheries and other thorny issues to facilitate accession.Brussels had also hoped to be able to present Icelandic membership as an example of positive enlargement that could also make it more palatable for member states to agree to take in less wealthy countries such as Montenegro.The government had framed its membership plan as a “now or never” moment, and Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir told voters in August that voting ‘No’ would put all EU speculation aside.‘Yes’ campaigners said joining the bloc could ease high interest rates and offer more security in a world unsettled by war in Ukraine and United States President Donald Trump’s rhetoric ⁠⁠about annexing another Arctic island, neighbouring Greenland.‘No’ campaigners said EU ⁠⁠membership would threaten Iceland’s sovereignty and its fishing industry.It has been fiercely opposed to joining the bloc – 90 percent of companies in the industry were against the idea – and the EU had tried to woo them with a conciliatory approach ahead of the vote.“Iceland’s unique specificities on fisheries and agriculture are well known. They would have to be carefully considered,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos had said.“I’m confident that, together with EU member states, we would find creative solutions.”A rally opposing the resumption of EU accession talks in Reykjavik, August 27, 2026 [Marco Di Marco/AP]Frostadottir vowed that if Iceland rejected the resumption of entry talks, the EU membership issue would not be put back on the political agenda during her mandate, which ends in 2028.The government also said that in the event of a ‘No’ vote, it would leave to parliament the question of whether or not to formally withdraw its EU membership application.The small island in the North Atlantic is already closely linked to the EU as a member of the European Economic Area and the free-movement Schengen zone – ties which will remain unchanged.While the referendum result is technically non-binding, the government has vowed to respect it.The government is due to hold a lunchtime media conference (13:00 GMT) on Sunday to present its plans.Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009 when a financial crisis hit the country’s economy. A Eurosceptic government ended talks four years later.