For Iceland’s fishermen, it’s a hard ‘No’ in EU referendum
Polls show the referendum could go either way as supporters cite eurozone stability and opponents warn of lost control over fisheries.
- On Saturday, Iceland's residents vote on whether to restart long-frozen talks to join the European Union, with Gallup polling showing the referendum extremely close at about 51.5% supporting EU accession talks and 48.5% opposed.
- Iceland initially applied to join the European Union in 2009 following a financial crisis, but a center-right government halted the effort citing sovereignty and fishing concerns; the current center-left coalition revived the question after the 2016 Brexit vote fueled broader EU reconsideration.
- Despite ranking top 10 globally in GDP per capita at $98,300, Iceland struggles with currency volatility from the krona and monopolistic corporate control in key sectors; Prime Minister Kristr Frostadttir argues joining the eurozone will offer stability and investment, saying maintaining reserves is 'costing us a ton'.
- If the referendum passes, a second vote likely more than a year away will determine formal European Union membership pursuit, with accession negotiations potentially taking 18 months; Independence Party leader Gudrún Hafsteinsdóttir questioned whether Iceland could secure meaningful negotiating power.
- Arctic security tensions from President Donald Trump's Greenland overtures and Russian naval movements have elevated Iceland's strategic importance, prompting NATO maritime security pacts; European Policy Centre Director Almut Müller said the 27-nation European Union bloc shows appetite to welcome Iceland as a 'much more relevant partner' in geopolitics and security.
15 Articles
15 Articles
A tiny nordic nation weighs moving closer to Europe under the shadow of Trump
By Lauren Kent, CNN (CNN) — Iceland’s freezing temperatures typically last about five months of the year, but the government has chosen a balmy summer day for its pivotal national referendum. On Saturday, residents of the Nordic island are voting on another un-thawing of sorts – whether to restart long-frozen talks to join the European The post A tiny nordic nation weighs moving closer to Europe under the shadow of Trump appeared first on News C…
Icelanders will decide this Saturday in a referendum whether to reopen negotiations to join the Community bloc, in a consultation marked by fear of losing management of their fisheries
In 2013, Iceland announced that it was interrupting the EU accession negotiations, after a brilliant process that was about to end. This small remote island of just 400,000 inhabitants already enjoys privileged relations with the EU as part of the single market and the Schengen area. However, inflation, a currency subject to the volatility of a more complicated geopolitical situation – especially the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Arctic – h…
Closer between American expansionism and the fear of losing the cod monopoly, tomorrow the referendum on the EU
The last great whaler in the country and the young people of Reykjavik embody the generation gap between the isolation and integration of the Nordic country into the community bloc Read
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