Iceland Says “No” to the EU / Brussels Responds After Referendum: We Respect Your Choice; You Remain a Close Partner

The European Commission has maintained a restrained stance following the failure of the referendum in Iceland, in which 52.8% of citizens voted against reopening membership negotiations with the bloc, while 47.2% voted “in favour.”

The decision by the Icelandic people directly deals a blow to the EU’s enlargement drive, in which Reykjavík was considered a “five-star” candidate because of its high level of integration with the single market.

A European Commission spokesperson briefly stated: “The European Commission takes note of the outcome of Iceland’s referendum. The Commission respects the choice of the Icelandic people. Iceland remains a close partner of the European Union.”

Along the same lines, European Council President António Costa held a conversation with Iceland’s Prime Minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir. According to Costa’s spokesperson, “President Costa stressed that the EU fully respects the democratic choice made by the Icelandic people in today’s referendum. Iceland remains one of the EU’s closest and most trusted partners,” while the two leaders expressed their desire to continue bilateral cooperation.

For her part, Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir announced that she would completely set aside the issue of membership for the remainder of her term. “47% of the population was interested in it. I think it is important that we enter the coming months and weeks and respect this viewpoint,” she said.

Euronews writes that the failure of this referendum leaves questions open about the progress of the EU enlargement process, which had gained new momentum following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although Brussels sought to find “creative” solutions to the two most contentious issues, fisheries and agriculture, Iceland decided not to return to the talks that have been suspended since 2013.

With this rejection, Montenegro remains the leading country in line to seek membership by 2028, while the EU must review its strategy for keeping candidate countries engaged.