Iceland Sets August 29 Referendum on Resuming EU Membership Talks

Iceland will hold a referendum on August 29 to determine whether to resume negotiations to join the European Union. The vote marks the first such referendum in over a decade for the Nordic nation of approximately 400,000 residents. The ballot follows the decision by Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir's centre-left coalition, which took office in 2024, to advance the timeline from an original target of 2027.

The move came after President Trump made threats regarding neighbouring Greenland and at times confused the two territories during the diplomatic row. Iceland submitted an EU membership application in 2009 after its banking sector collapsed during the global financial crisis. Negotiations were halted in 2013 when a centre-right administration took office and were formally abandoned in 2015.

Iceland participates in the EU single market through the European Economic Area. The country lacks a standing army and relies on NATO membership along with a bilateral defence pact with Washington. " The campaign against membership draws rhetorical inspiration from the Vote Leave movement while citing Britain's departure as evidence that EU membership is difficult to reverse.

Icelandic reluctance has historically centred on concerns that accession would require opening North Atlantic fishing waters to vessels from other European countries. Escalating living costs, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and transatlantic tensions have intensified security concerns ahead of the vote.