The no vote that is supposed to stand
Translated from Icelandic and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
Opinion
Named sources
Outcome reported
- In an August 29 referendum, 52.84% voted against reopening accession talks with the European Union, while 47.16% voted in favor, with turnout at 82.5%.
- The commentary says the government did not receive the mandate it sought.
- Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said the broader goals of stability, security and a stronger position for Iceland remained unchanged despite the vote.
Iceland’s voters gave a clear answer on August 29: 52.84% rejected reopening accession talks with the European Union, while 47.16% supported it. Turnout reached 82.5%.
Björn Bjarnason writes that the government did not receive the mandate it had sought. Yet Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, the foreign minister and leader of Viðreisn, does not appear to regard the result as a rejection of the political path she had set out.
On Facebook, Gunnarsdóttir said the work would continue. The European Union, she wrote, had never been the goal in itself, but one route toward the larger aims of long-term stability, security and a stronger position for Iceland.
That route would not be taken this time, she said, but the broader objective had not changed. Bjarnason’s title presents the central issue directly: whether the referendum’s “no” is meant to stand.
About this summary
Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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