ICELAND has voted against a government proposal to resume talks to join the European Union, according to a public broadcaster.
The “No” camp had 52.5% of votes and the “Yes” camp 47.5%, with only a few ballots left to be counted in one of Iceland’s six voting districts, online ballot counting on RUV showed on Sunday.
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir and Minister of Education and Children Inga Sæland have called a press conference for 1pm (2pm GMT) today.
Asked about how close predictions were ahead of the result, Frostadóttir said she hoped the result would not divide the nation or leave wounds that will not heal.
"I hope not. I don't feel that there is bitterness. I know tempers have run high for some people, but I have now spent time with a large group of people from all over the country and people are quite open to different outcomes."
Asked whether the European Union debate will be over if the result is No, Frostadóttir said that, at the very least, no such process will be undertaken while she is leading the current government.
The vote was held in the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to control nearby Greenland that drove some voters to favour the idea of European solidarity.
Although Iceland is a Nato member, supporters said they would have greater protection from their neighbours if Trump ever made similar threats toward the volcanic island.
Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, moved up the EU referendum it had planned for next year after Trump mistakenly named the country four times while speaking about his designs on Greenland.
What did Iceland vote on?
It was a simple yes-or-no question for roughly 265,000 eligible voters: Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?
Opponents rallied around fishing and the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone without the sovereignty compromises that inevitably come with full membership.
They argued that Iceland’s voice would be muted in the large European Parliament and that it would be better off cutting its own trade deals, such as one with China.
Backers said EU membership would lower inflation and interest rates, and the euro would bring more stability than Iceland’s volatile krona.
They said it was also in the nation’s interest to get closer to its European neighbours to tackle issues that do not respect borders, such as climate change.
