Iceland's parliament votes to hold referendum on EU accession talks in August
A yes vote would restart accession talks, and any final EU membership deal would still need a second referendum.
- On Thursday, the Althingi voted to hold an August 29 referendum to restart European Union negotiations, advancing the government's two-step plan that could lead to membership later this decade.
- Reykjavik abandoned negotiations in 2013 under a Eurosceptic government after four years of talks, but rising living costs and the war in Ukraine have since rekindled public interest in joining the European Union.
- In the 63-seat Althingi, 34 members voted to support the referendum, while 8 rejected the proposal and 14 abstained; 7 were absent.
- Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir expressed optimism regarding potential European Union membership by 2028, though she acknowledged that fisheries and agriculture remain the most difficult sectors to resolve.
- Extending the European Union's reach toward Greenland, membership for 400,000 people offers symbolic advantages, University professor Olafur Thordur Hardarson noted; the two-step process may reassure undecided voters.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Iceland will hold a referendum on 29 August on the reopening of Iceland's accession negotiations to the European Union (EU), frozen since 2015, following the proposal made by the Icelandic Government two months ago.Continue reading...
Iceland’s Parliament Votes to Hold Referendum on Restarting EU Membership Talks
Iceland’s parliament voted on May 28 in favor of holding a national referendum on restarting accession talks with the European Union, which could see the Nordic island join the 27-member bloc before the end of this decade. The Althingi, Iceland’s parliament, voted in favor of holding the plebiscite on August 29, 2025, months after Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir first raised the prospect of exploring joining the EU. In the 63-seat…
The referendum will be held on 29 August.
Iceland is going to hold a referendum on whether the country should resume negotiations with the European Union regarding potential membership. A second referendum on actual accession to the EU should follow later. According to Wouter Zeers, Research Fellow at Clingendael, Iceland, as the 28th EU member state with a strong democracy, could be an asset to the EU.
Iceland will hold a nationwide referendum on resuming EU accession talks that were suspended more than a decade ago.
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