Iceland Voters Reject EU Accession Talks in Referendum, RUV Reports

Iceland has rejected government plans to resume accession talks with the European Union, according to provisional referendum results reported by the national broadcaster RÚV.

With only a small number of votes still to be counted, the “no” side leads at 52.8 percent against 47.2 percent for “yes,” RÚV’s live online tally showed on Sunday. Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrún Fjeldsted Friðgeirsdóttir told the broadcaster the outcome would not leave the nation divided. “I don’t feel this as a defeat,” she said, adding that meetings around the country had shown people remained open to future dialogue.

The vote marks a decisive setback for Brussels, which had pressed for Iceland’s membership to expand the bloc’s economic and geopolitical footprint. Iceland first applied in 2009 after a deep financial crisis, but a Eurosceptic government suspended negotiations in 2013. Geopolitical tensions—including Russia’s war in Ukraine and U.S. trade measures—have since intensified debate over closer ties with the EU.

Fishing and agriculture concerns weighed heavily in rural districts, where voters feared EU quotas and regulations could threaten livelihoods. Yes campaigners had argued that EU membership could lower interest rates and provide stability amid global instability, including speculation about U.S. moves in Greenland.

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, praised the result as a defense of national sovereignty. Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Reform Party, also welcomed the outcome, calling it a vote for independence.

The government had framed the referendum as a “now or never” decision, but the prime minister indicated no immediate plans to reopen accession talks. With rural communities and fishing industries remaining opposed, Iceland’s long-running EU debate appears set to continue.

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