Icelandic voters rejected a proposal to restart negotiations to join the European Union in a referendum held Saturday, with 52.8% voting against and 47.2% in favor, according to final results reported by the national broadcaster RÚV on Sunday .

The capital, Reykjavik, was the only area where a majority supported the measure, while opposition was strongest in rural regions. Turnout reached 82.5%, with 225,031 ballots cast—the highest participation since the 2009 parliamentary elections .

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, who campaigned for the "Yes" side, said she hoped the result would not divide the nation. “I don’t feel that there is bitterness,” she told RÚV before the final tally. “I know tempers 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” .

The referendum followed a divisive campaign centered on sovereignty and the fishing industry’s fears that EU membership would subject Iceland’s waters to the bloc’s Common Fisheries Policy. The sector, which accounts for about 8% of Iceland’s GDP and nearly 40% of its exports, strongly opposed the measure .

The government had framed the vote as a "now or never" moment, but Frostadóttir said her administration would continue its work regardless of the outcome. Brussels had viewed Iceland as a low-risk candidate for enlargement, but the result was met with disappointment by some EU officials .

Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009 after a financial crisis, but a Eurosceptic government halted talks in 2013. The left-leaning coalition elected in 2024 moved up the referendum after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to control Greenland, raising concerns about Arctic security .

David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said the decision was sovereign and democratic but would not alter existing ties. “Schon heute ist Island eng in die europäische Zusammenarbeit eingebunden,” he stated .

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Icelandic voters reject a proposal to restart negotiations to join the European UnionIcelands voters have rejected a referendum to restart negotiations to join the European Union. RÚV, the national broadcaster, said opponents defeated the measure by a margin of 52.8 to 47.2. #News #Iceland #EU #theEuropeanUnion

mastodon bot · about 1 hour ago

Referendum im Norden Europas: Menschen in Island stimmen knapp gegen EU-Beitrittsgespräche Nach Auszählung aller Stimmen ist klar: Die Mehrheit der Menschen in Island will nicht, dass die Gespräche zu einem Beitritt in die Europäische Union wieder aufgenommen werden. Der Ausgang war eng.

tagesspiegel · about 1 hour ago

Mehrheit gegen EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen Beim Referendum in Island über die Wiederaufnahme von Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Europäischen Union haben sich die Gegner des Regierungsvorhabens knapp durchgesetzt. Laut dem am Sonntag vorliegenden Endergebnis der Auszählung lagen die Gegner nach einem Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen letztlich mit 52,8 Prozent vor den Befürwortern, die auf 47,2 Prozent kamen.

orf.at · about 1 hour ago

Iceland votes against reopening talks on joining the EU The No vote received 52.8 compared to 47.2 for the Yes camp.

thejournal · about 1 hour ago

Nein zu EU-Gesprächen: Island zeigt kalte Schulter Europa bekommt einen Korb: 52,8 Prozent der Isländer lehnen neue EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen ab. Eindrücke von einem Wahltag, der das Land spaltete. mehr...

taz.de · about 1 hour ago

Island: Mehrheit gegen EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen

orf.at · about 1 hour ago

🇮🇸 🗳️ Iceland voted No to resuming membership negotiations with the European Union, final referendum results showed on Sunday, dealing a heavy blow to Brussels which had been keen to welcome a new wealthy member ➡️ u.afp.com/SVeS

bluesky_AFP English · about 1 hour ago

The future of Icelands bid to join the European Union will be called into question before its parliament after a majority of voters voted against restarting accession talks in this weekends referendum.

bluesky_Politico Europe · about 1 hour ago

Island: »Nei« zu dem, was Europa bieten kann Bei einer Volksabstimmung votieren die Isländer gegen Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der EU. Das Ergebnis erzählt mindestens so viel über Europa wie über Island.

die zeit · about 1 hour ago

Iceland rejects talks on EU entry No vote prevails in knife-edge referendum prompted by Donald Trumps threats to annex Greenland

financial times · about 1 hour ago

Iceland rejects restarting EU accession talks in referendum Icelanders voted to reject reopening EU membership talks, official results showed Sunday, dealing a blow to the governments push to join the bloc and handing a win to those who argued the countrys prized fishing waters were too important to risk. The results will disappoint Brussels, which had hoped to welcome the Nordic country as a new member.

france24 · about 1 hour ago

Icelands rejection of accession talks deals major blow to EU enlargement The "No" vote in the referendum to reopen accession talks could be seen as a political message to Brussels: the burdens of EU membership outweigh the benefits – at least in the publics view.

euronews · about 1 hour ago

Iceland says No: Four takeaways from the EU accession referendum Iceland has voted 52.8 to 47.2 against resuming accession negotiations with the European Union, effectively closing the door on membership. Here are the four takeaways from the referendum.

euronews · about 1 hour ago

Icelanders react as the EU referendum results come in Icelanders react as voters reject a proposal to restart European Union accession talks in a closely contested referendum.

euronews · about 1 hour ago

Iceland Votes to Steer Clear of European Union Talks After a divisive national debate, Icelanders rejected a proposal to resume negotiations on joining the bloc, according to the national broadcaster.

new york times · about 1 hour ago

Today: LUe prova ad abbattere gli ultimi confini: così Bruxelles vuole semplificare la vita nelle regioni di frontieraLe frontiere interne dellUnione europea rappresentano allo stesso tempo unopportunità e una sfida per il funzionamento di un mercato unico da 450 milioni di consumatori.Grazie allUnione europea e allo spazio Schengen, per milioni di cittadini che vivono nelle regioni dove un tempo esisteva un...The EU is trying to dismantle the last borders: so Brussels wants to simplify life in the border regions.The internal borders of the European Union represent both an opportunity and a challenge for the functioning of a single market of 450 million consumers. Thanks to the European Union and the Schengen area, for millions of citizens who live in regions where there used to be a…#Brussels #theEuropeanUnion #Schengen

mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago

#Icelanders reject #EU #membersip #talks

mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago

Icelanders reject EU-accession talks, broadcaster RUV reports Icelanders have voted to stay out of the European Union, broadcaster RUV reported on Sunday, rejecting a government push to reopen membership talks and siding with those who said Icelands fishing waters were too important to risk. A no vote will disappoint Brussels, as some officials had cast Iceland as a low-risk case that could […]

cyprus mail · about 2 hours ago

Iceland referendum backs reopening EU talks by narrow margin Initial tallies from Icelands referendum on Saturday show a razor-thin majority favoring the resumption of European Union membership negotiations, granting Reykjavik a mandate to resume accession talks that were suspended in 2013 and formally frozen two years later.

yenisafak · about 2 hours ago

Iceland votes against restarting talks on joining EU #Europe

mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago

#Iceland rejects #EU accession talks in referendum, reports say.The no camp has prevailed, holding 52.5 of votes with only a few left to be counted, says public broadcaster.

mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago

#BREAKING Iceland votes No to resuming EU entry talks: final result

bluesky_AFP English · about 2 hours ago

Islannin kansanäänestys | Islanti äänesti EU-jäsenyysneuvotteluja vastaan Ei-äänet voittivat 52,8 prosentilla äänistä.

helsingin sanomat · about 2 hours ago

Icelandic voters reject proposal to restart talks to join the EU Referendum pitted concerns about global stability against control of fisheries.

abcnews · about 2 hours ago

Iceland votes to reject EU accession talks: What happens next? The referendum result halts Icelands bid to reopen EU membership talks, with 52.5 percent voting against the proposal.

aljazeera · about 2 hours ago

Iceland votes against restarting EU membership talks Broadcaster RUV reports that 52.8 of voters rejected the governments proposal to resume accession talks.

bbc · about 2 hours ago

Island röstar nej till EU-förhandlingar

svenska dagbladet · about 2 hours ago

Referendum in Island : Island stimmt gegen EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen Die Mehrheit der Isländer votiert gegen die Wiederaufnahme von Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der EU. Der Ausgang des Referendums war sehr knapp.

die zeit · about 2 hours ago

Icelanders reject reopening talks to join the EU despite Trumps Greenland threats Icelanders voted 52.8 to 47.2 against reopening talks to join the European Union.

cnbc · about 2 hours ago

Iceland rejected accession plans to join the EU. Would have been cool. As a European, Im still proud to see that the EU tries to extend itself through partnership instead of threats, sanctions or war.#eu #island

mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago