Iceland votes in razor-thin referendum on resuming EU membership talks
Icelanders are voting on Saturday in a referendum on whether to resume negotiations to join the European Union, with polls showing a razor-thin margin between the "Yes" and "No" camps. Voting began at 9:00 a.m. local time and will close at 10:00 p.m., with the first reliable results expected late Saturday or early Sunday, according to France 24 and Euronews .
The ballot asks voters: "Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?" A "Yes" result would reopen talks with Brussels, but any final membership agreement would require a second referendum, as well as approval from Iceland’s parliament and all 27 EU member states. Iceland first applied for EU membership in 2009 following a financial crisis, but a eurosceptic government suspended negotiations in 2013 and formally withdrew its candidacy in 2015 .
Recent polling has been volatile. A Gallup survey conducted Aug. 24–27 showed 51.6% opposed to resuming talks and 48.4% in favor, while an earlier Maskína poll from Aug. 21–25 had 51.3% supporting a "Yes" vote and 48.7% against . Over 40,000 Icelanders, nearly 15% of the electorate, cast early ballots before Saturday’s vote, according to Icelandic media .
Key issues in the campaign include fisheries, which account for nearly 40% of Iceland’s exports, and sovereignty concerns. The country already participates in the EU’s single market and Schengen zone through its membership in the European Economic Area. Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, a pro-EU advocate, told AFP, "It's pretty tight, but I'm always optimistic. It's not done until it's done" .
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, whose center-left coalition government pledged to hold the referendum, has urged voters to participate. In a social media post, she called the vote "an opportunity, not a final decision" and noted that Iceland already benefits from international cooperation through NATO, the European Free Trade Association, and the EEA .
The referendum is advisory, but a clear "Yes" would pressure Reykjavik to restart negotiations. Iceland, with a population of under 400,000, would become the EU’s smallest member state by population if it eventually joined .
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