EditIceland rejects restarting EU talks in blow to Brussels
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, who campaigned for Yes, said she hoped the vote would not divide the country
Iceland has rejected restarting EU accession talks. With counting nearly complete, the No side leads 52.5% to 47.5%, and RÚV, the public broadcaster, has declared the outcome clear. The last remaining constituency (Southwest) was already leaning No and cannot close the gap.
The result follows a tight overnight count that flipped from an early Yes lead in Reykjavík to a decisive rural No. Reykjavík North and South backed talks (57.5% and 54.5% Yes). The four other constituencies rejected them by wide margins, including 62.9% No in the Northwest and 61.2% No in the Northeast.
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, who campaigned for Yes, said she hoped the vote would not divide the country. She also said a No vote would keep the EU issue off the agenda for the rest of her government’s term.. A government press conference is scheduled for 13:00 GMT. Former president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, a prominent No voice, called it “our encounter with history.” Brussels had viewed Iceland as a low-risk, wealthy potential member; the rejection is being described as a setback for enlargement momentum.
The referendum was not a vote on joining the EU itself. A Yes would only have reopened negotiations, with any eventual accession treaty requiring a second referendum. Iceland remains in the EEA and Schengen.
The Icelandic referendum result will come as a disappointment in Brussels, which has been keen to showcase the EU’s continued attractiveness to wealthy, stable democracies, in an ever more difficult geopolitical environment. Conversely, MAGA supporters and sovereigntists in various countries will interpret the result as a victory and evidence of the EU’s declining appeal.
Reactions
Independence Party leader Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, who led the No campaign, argued the economic case for talks was overstated and that Iceland must solve its own problems.
Former president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson: “The nation has spoken: A clear no to the proposed EU journey.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted: “Congratulations to Iceland on voting to keep their independence.”
French RN leader Marine Le Pen, who leads in the polls in the run up to the May 2027 elections, posted on X:
“By rejecting through a referendum the resumption of negotiations for accession to the European Union, the Icelandic people have recalled an obvious fact: accession to the European Union is not the natural horizon of every European democracy.
“This vote delivers a clear message: peoples must be able to decide for themselves their future, their institutions, and their ability to defend their national interests.
“At a time when some are pushing for more federalism and transfers of sovereignty to the European Commission, this vote recalls that another Europe is possible: a Europe of free, sovereign nations cooperating voluntarily on matters of common interest.”
Prominent EU figures have so far been relatively quiet, treating the result as Iceland’s sovereign choice. No major public statement has yet come from Ursula von der Leyen. Council president António Costa reportedly exchanged messages with Iceland’s Prime Minister Frostadóttir.
Accoring to a spokesperson, Costa stressed that the EU fully respects the democratic choice of the Icelandic people in today’s referendum. Both leaders expressed their desire to continue to strengthen the relationship between the EU and Iceland.
This article will be updated with reactions.
Caption: Videograb from TRT reporting from the referendum [EUalive]
Updated: August 30, 2026 - 17:07
