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Iceland votes against restarting European Union accession talks, with 52.8% opposing the move and 47.2% supporting it in a high-turnout referendum. The result is a major setback for Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir’s pro-EU coalition, which argued that membership talks would strengthen Iceland’s economic and security position. Reykjavik backs the proposal, but rural and coastal communities reject it, mainly over fears that EU fisheries rules would weaken national control over fishing waters. The government now says EU membership will remain off the agenda through 2028.
Monday, 31 August, 2026