NewsDialy

Iceland votes no on EU membership talks, fishing grounds and sovereignty tip the result

8/30/2026

A referendum, here meaning a direct public vote on a single question of national policy, returned a verdict against Europe in Iceland.

Voters rejected a proposal to restart membership negotiations with the European Union by 52.8% to 47.2%, according to The Associated Press citing Icelandic national broadcaster RUV.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir had campaigned in favor of resuming talks suspended more than a decade ago, and vowed to respect the result even though the vote is technically nonbinding.

Roughly 275,000 people were eligible to vote. Reykjavik was the only part of the country where a majority backed reopening negotiations.