Iceland’s voters rejected a proposal to restart negotiations on joining the E uropean Union more than a decade after previous talks ended, the national broadcaster reported on Sunday (August 30, 2026).
The vote on Saturday (August 29) took place in the shadow of U.S. Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, moved up the EU referendum it had planned for next year after Mr. It was a simple yes-or-no question for roughly 265,000 eligible voters: Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?
President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to control nearby Greenland, which drove some voters to favour European solidarity. Trump ever made similar threats toward the volcanic island. Trump mistakenly named Iceland four times while speaking about his designs on Greenland.
supporters said they would have greater protection from their neighbours if Mr Although Iceland is a NATO member. The vote count through the night had the nation on edge as the “Yes” vote took an early lead before eventually swinging in favour of the opposition.
By dawn, a margin of only a few hundred votes separated the two camps before the gap grew as more ballots were tallied in areas of the country where opposition was greater.
