Published on
31/08/2026 - 11:08 GMT+2
On 29 August, 52.8 percent of Icelanders voted “No” in a referendum on resuming membership talks to join the European Union. The EU had already opened accession negotiations in 2010, but Reykjavik dropped them in 2015 following a change of government.
For the EU, Iceland’s membership was about whether the EU could still attract a wealthy, stable democracy that chooses to join for reasons beyond seeking financial and economic stability.
With Russia’s war destabilising Europe, weakening ties with Washington, and the conflict in the Middle East, the EU views enlargement as vital to its own future. A larger bloc boosts influence in trade, defence, and diplomacy.
