Iceland Votes No to Reopening EU Membership Talks

Iceland has voted to stay outside the European Union, broadcaster RUV confirmed Sunday, rejecting the government’s push to reopen membership talks in a referendum that came down to the wire. The final count showed 118,040 votes (52.8%) against resuming talks and 105,399 (47.2%) in favor, out of 225,031 ballots cast, a record 82.5% turnout for an Icelandic referendum.

The “No” campaign centered its case on protecting the country’s sovereignty and control over its fishing waters, arguing EU membership posed too great a risk to both. Supporters of reopening talks had pointed to potential economic benefits, including lower interest rates and inflation, along with the long-term possibility of adopting the euro.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir had framed the vote as a “now or never” decision and said ahead of the results that a “no” would put the EU question to rest. With the outcome now confirmed, the debate over EU membership is expected to be shelved in Icelandic politics for at least the next two years.