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Iceland Voters Reject EU Accession Talks, 52.8%-47.2%

9/7/2026

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Summary

Iceland Rejects EU Talks

Iceland voters rejected reopening EU accession talks, 52.8% to 47.2%.
Turnout reached 82.5%, the highest participation in an Icelandic election since 2009.
The government said it will respect the advisory result and keep the 2009 EU application.
EU Council President António Costa said the bloc respects Iceland’s decision.
In 2025 the EU accounted for over half of Iceland’s goods trade and two-thirds of its exports.

Summary

EU Council convenes

EU and candidate ministers met informally in Dublin, the first gathering under Ireland’s EU Council presidency.
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the referendum does not make the EU less attractive.
Montenegro is projected to join the EU as the 28th member by 2028, with Albania close behind.
The Commission will publish a new-member integration reform proposal by end-September for debate at the 15-16 October summit.

History

Historical Context

On 13 November 1994 Sweden held a non-binding EU membership referendum, with 52.3% voting yes and an 83.3% turnout. The vote followed a wave of 1994 referendums—including Finland’s 56.9% approval—that enabled the 1995 enlargement admitting Sweden, Austria and Finland to the EU. The Swedish precedent is cited as a model for Iceland’s 2026 EU-membership referendum.

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Iceland Rejects EU Talks

Iceland voters rejected reopening EU accession talks, 52.8% to 47.2%.
Turnout reached 82.5%, the highest participation in an Icelandic election since 2009.
The government said it will respect the advisory result and keep the 2009 EU application.
EU Council President António Costa said the bloc respects Iceland’s decision.
In 2025 the EU accounted for over half of Iceland’s goods trade and two-thirds of its exports.

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