Icelanders Reject New EU Bid by 52.8% in Referendum

Iceland Says No to EU Talks

According to Рубрика — Суспільство: Icelandic voters have rejected a return to European Union membership negotiations. Final results released on August 30, 2026 show 52.8% answering 'no' and 47.7% answering 'yes'. Turnout was 82.5%: 225,031 of 272,690 registered voters took part.

A Country Split by Region

Regional patterns stood out. In Reykjavik North, 57.5% supported reopening talks, while Reykjavik South backed it with 54.5%. Elsewhere, the 'no' side was clearly ahead:

• Northwest: 62.9%
• Northeast: 61.2%
• South: 60%
• Southwest: 53%

A total of 118,040 voters said 'no', 105,339 said 'yes', and 1,652 ballots were blank or invalid.

Iceland originally applied to join the EU in 2009, after the 2008 banking crisis. The process stalled in 2013 under a centre-right government and was formally ended in 2015. Despite staying outside the EU, Iceland is a NATO member, takes part in the EU single market, and belongs to the Schengen area. Any future membership agreement would still need to pass a new referendum, win approval from Iceland's parliament, and be accepted by all 27 EU states.

Pro-EU voices say Donald Trump's claims over Greenland are a significant political factor that could shape the context of any possible future talks.

The result underlines how deeply divided Icelanders remain over Europe. Turning away from the talks may signal that a society still coping with the aftermath of the financial crisis is not ready for further international commitments. It could also affect Iceland's ties with the EU and other partners, even though the country already enjoys significant advantages from its cooperation with Brussels.