Today, Icelanders will vote whether to resume talks towards European Union membership or put the issue of becoming part of the EU on the backburner for the foreseeable future.
Polling stations are open 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM. (Local time) Voters are specifically voting on whether to go back to membership negotiations or whether to attempt to consider new terms. A “yes” result would simply start the process again and a referendum would have to be held nationwide for any completed membership agreement to be ratified.
The country first sought to join the bloc in 2009, after a serious economic crisis. A Eurosceptic Government of Iceland took office in 2013, however, and suspended the talks and officially withdrew the country’s candidacy in 2015.
This referendum was called as part of a manifesto commitment of the current pro-EU coalition which won the elections in 2024. Once the Althingi and the people give their approval to accession, the country of almost 400,000 people will become the smallest of the bloc by population, currently occupied by Malta.
This election is more than a local matter for Iceland; the geopolitical implications extend beyond its borders. The European project has an unprecedented chance to get the momentum going on enlargement and renew its appeal to wealthier Nordic states, as Norway closely follows the developments in the United Kingdom’s Brexit process.
The turnout has been very large to date. Early voting started on July 27 and by Wednesday, more than 40,000—about 15 percent of the electorate—had had their votes already cast. The turnout in Reykjavik on Saturday morning was also on the higher side than the voting at the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Public opinion is still very divided and the result is still too close to call. The polling results were released on Friday and had a razor-thin margin, with 50.4% saying “Yes” and 49.6% saying “No.
Today’s referendum result is not binding and only advisory, but a clear “Yes” would definitely push Reykjavik policymakers to act on negotiating the deal. The first results will be available at the beginning of Sunday morning.
