Urges MPs to Agree on Question

Reykjavik, Iceland – Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir has stated she will not personally spearhead efforts to alter the wording of the upcoming referendum question concerning European Union negotiations. The question, slated for a national vote on August 29, has become a point of contention, with differing opinions on whether EU accession talks have officially concluded. This stance from the Prime Minister comes after discussions within the open meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Concerns regarding the referendum's phrasing were highlighted by Diljá Mist Einarsdóttir, an MP from the Independence Party. She pointed out that two distinct opinions on the question exist within the Foreign Affairs Committee: one from the National Electoral Commission and another from the Venice Commission. Both bodies have noted that the current wording, specifically the phrase "continue negotiations," is contentious among Icelanders. This is due to the ongoing debate about the precise status of the EU negotiations, with some arguing they were terminated in 2013 while others hold a different view.

“

continue negotiations

While declining to personally lobby for a change, Prime Minister Jakobsdóttir urged parliamentary committees, specifically the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Constitutional and Oversight Committee, to collaborate and find common ground. "We can disagree on many things here in parliament, but surely we can show the nation that parliament can agree on the questions to be asked," she stated, encouraging a unified approach. This call for consensus aims to ensure that the referendum question presented to the public is one that garners broad agreement among the members of the Althingi, reflecting a unified parliamentary front on this sensitive issue.

“

We can disagree on many things here in parliament, but surely we can show the nation that parliament can agree on the questions to be asked. I will not actively push for it myself other than encouraging you to do well in reaching an agreement on this matter.