Iceland Prepares for Referendum on Resuming EU Accession Talks

Iceland will hold a referendum on 29 August on whether to resume accession negotiations with the European Union, more than a decade after talks were suspended.

The question put to voters is: “Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?” A yes vote would not mean immediate membership. Any eventual accession treaty would require a second referendum.

Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009 following the banking crisis. Negotiations progressed until a eurosceptic government put them on hold in 2013. The application itself was never formally withdrawn.

Opinion polls show a closely divided electorate. One recent Gallup survey found 46 percent in favour of restarting talks, 46 percent against and 8 percent undecided. A separate Maskína poll put support for yes at 53 percent.

Fisheries dominate the debate. Control of Iceland’s rich fishing grounds, secured after the Cod Wars of the 1970s, is treated by many as a core element of national identity and economic independence. Critics of EU membership fear that joining the Common Fisheries Policy would dilute that control. Supporters argue that lower interest rates, greater influence in Brussels and stronger geopolitical positioning outweigh the risks, particularly after US tariff actions and wider uncertainty in the North Atlantic.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir has framed the vote as a mandate to negotiate rather than a final decision on membership. Advance voting has already begun. Turnout is expected to be decisive.