A yes to membership would have given Brussels a boost but Icelanders have not voted to isolate themselves Icelands 52.8% to 47.2% vote against reopening EU accession talks is, undeniably, a blow for Brussels. But claiming it as a Brexit-style victory for national sovereignty or evidence of broad rejection of the EU misrepresents the reality of the islands relationship with the bloc.For the EU, Iceland was a dream candidate: small, stable, prosperous and strategically located in an increasingly c...
Icelands close ties with EU mean no vote is not a Brexit-style rejection
The Guardian - 1 Sep 2026 04:00
A yes to membership would have given Brussels a boost but Icelanders have not voted to isolate themselves Icelands 52.8% to 47.2% vote against reopening EU accession talks is, undeniably, a blow for Brussels. But claiming it as a Brexit-style victory for national sovereignty or evidence of broad rejection of the EU misrepresents the reality of the islands relationship with the bloc.For the EU, Iceland was a dream candidate: small, stable, prosperous and strategically located in an increasingly c...
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