Iceland parliament to discuss EU bid withdrawal after referendum defeat

Key facts

• Icelanders voted to reject restarting EU accession talks with 52.8% against and 47.2% in favor.
• Turnout for the referendum was 82.5%.
• The government will respect the referendum's outcome and discuss closing the EU application chapter.
• Iceland first began EU accession talks in 2009, which collapsed in 2013.
• The country will seek new security partnerships, including bilateral agreements and deepening ties with the EU, Japan, and Canada.

Iceland's parliament is set to discuss the future of the country's bid to join the European Union after a referendum saw a majority of voters reject the resumption of accession talks. The national broadcaster RÚV reported that 52.8 percent voted against reopening negotiations, with 47.2 percent in favor, on a turnout of 82.5 percent.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir stated that the government would respect the referendum's outcome and would not pursue further accession negotiations during its term. She indicated that the matter of formally closing the EU application chapter would be discussed with the parliamentary foreign affairs committee. Iceland initially began accession talks in 2009, which ended in 2013, but the application was never formally withdrawn.

Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir told Reuters that Iceland needs to find new ways to strengthen its security, including by seeking bilateral cooperation and deepening ties with the EU, Japan, and Canada. Voters brushed aside government warnings that EU membership could bolster its security, with U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on NATO and Greenland having sharpened the security debate in recent months.

Iceland has been part of the European Economic Area since 1994, an agreement with the EU that grants Iceland access to the EU's single market but without being a full member. Gunnarsdottir noted that cooperation within the EEA will be strengthened, and that all Icelandic parties are now united behind the EEA agreement.