Icelandic Parliament Backs EU Accession Referendum

Iceland's parliament has backed a referendum on beginning negotiations to join the European Union. Lawmakers voted 34 to 8 in favor of the public vote, scheduled for August 29. This decision advances a government plan that could see the nation of 400,000 people become an EU member later this decade.

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A large proportion of undecided voters want a referendum to see exactly what the terms of a potential agreement would be.

Reykjavik previously abandoned EU accession talks in 2013. However, increased living costs and the conflict in Ukraine have rekindled interest in joining the bloc, as indicated by public opinion polls. The government's proposed two-step process allows voters to first approve the continuation of negotiations. A second referendum would then be required to ratify the final terms of membership.

Olafur Thordur Hardarson, a political science professor at the University of Iceland, noted that many undecided voters may find comfort in the phased approach. "A large proportion of undecided voters want a referendum to see exactly what the terms of a potential agreement would be," he said. The EU's potential expansion to include Iceland would extend its reach into the North Atlantic, a region of growing geopolitical interest.

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Although it is a very small country, putting Iceland on the map of the European Union would have a kind of symbolic advantage.

Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir expressed optimism in March that Iceland could join the EU as early as 2028. She anticipates that fisheries and agriculture will present the most challenging aspects of the accession negotiations.

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I am optimistic that Iceland could join the EU as early as 2028 and expect fisheries and agriculture to be the most difficult points of negotiation.