Icelanders are casting ballots on whether to restart EU accession negotiations, with opinion polls showing the race is too close to call and a narrow lead for a “Yes” vote weakening in the final days. Results are expected early on Sunday.

The vote decides whether Iceland should move back towards EU membership talks or reject even beginning discussions on what an agreement might involve.

How The Vote Works

Polling stations open from 9am to 10pm local time.

A “Yes” vote would not commit Iceland to joining the EU. Instead, it would reopen accession talks, and any eventual deal would be submitted to another referendum before any change took place.

The referendum is advisory and not legally binding, but a clear “Yes” outcome would place political pressure on Reykjavik to move forward.

Background To EU Talks

Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009 following its financial crisis. In 2013, a new Eurosceptic government took office and suspended EU accession negotiations. The country later formally withdrew its candidate status in 2015.

A pro-EU coalition then won the 2024 election after campaigning on a pledge to hold a referendum on resuming the process, and the vote is taking place today.

Tight Polling And Early Turnout

With just under 400,000 residents, Iceland would become the EU’s smallest member state by population, a position currently held by Malta. Despite its size, the referendum is being closely watched because it offers a test of whether the EU can still attract wealthier Nordic countries, with Norway monitoring events.

Early voting has been unusually high. Icelandic media reported that more than 40,000 people, or nearly 15% of the electorate, had cast ballots by Wednesday. Early voting had opened on 27 July, and the unusually long early-voting period makes direct comparisons with previous elections difficult.

Polls have tightened steadily, leaving the outcome uncertain. A latest survey by market research firm Maskína, conducted between 21 and 25 August, put support for resuming negotiations at 51.3%, compared with 48.7% for “No”.

A Gallup poll released on Thursday showed “No” narrowly ahead, although the difference was within the margin of error, suggesting the final picture may have shifted further.

What Happens Next

Initial results are expected in the early hours of Sunday morning, following a day-long vote that will determine whether EU accession talks resume.

If the majority backs “Yes”, Iceland would face renewed negotiations, while any potential membership would still require a separate referendum at a later date.

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29 August 2026

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UPDATE

Iceland Voters Reject Restarting EU Membership Talks

Picture courtesy of ABC News

Icelandic voters have rejected a referendum that would have restarted accession negotiations with the European Union, more than a decade after previous talks ended, the national broadcaster RÚV reported on Sunday.

The result will settle the issue for the second time, after a eurosceptic government ended EU negotiations in 2015. The referendum was backed by the government elected in 2024, but opposition campaigns said full membership would require trade-offs over sovereignty despite Iceland already benefiting from parts of EU membership.

Result Shows Clear Vote Against

With almost all constituencies reporting, RÚV said the measure was defeated by 52.5% to 47.5%. The broadcaster later reported a margin of 52.8% to 47.2%.

Reykjavik was the only area to support restarting accession talks, according to RÚV. Iceland has a population of about 400,000.

RÚV said it was almost impossible that remaining votes to be counted in the south-west, where the measure was losing, would change the overall outcome.

Previous Talks Ended in 2015

The referendum was a straight yes-or-no question for about 265,000 eligible voters: whether Iceland should resume accession negotiations with the EU.

EU membership negotiations were halted in 2015 after the collapse of talks initiated by a previous government. The current referendum was scheduled for next year, but was moved forward after Donald Trump, the US president, mistakenly named Iceland four times while discussing his plans related to Greenland.

Supporters of the referendum said the risk of similar threats to Iceland in future made European solidarity more relevant, despite the country being a NATO member.

Campaign Highlights Single Market and Schengen Access

Opponents argued against restarting negotiations by pointing to Iceland’s existing access to the EU’s single market for goods and to the Schengen free-travel area. They said that those benefits are available without the sovereignty compromises that come with full membership.

They also argued that Iceland’s influence would be limited in the European Parliament and that the country would be better placed to negotiate its own trade deals, including a separate agreement with China.

Supporters said EU membership would reduce inflation and interest rates, and that adopting the euro would bring greater stability than Iceland’s volatile króna. They added that closer ties with European neighbours would help address issues that cross borders, including climate change.

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30 August 2026

Iceland rejected talks with EU .one major reason being it wanted to protect it's fishing waters. Pity the UK Europhile gov didn't do the same decades ago. The EU in an economic death spiral Iceland votes 'No' to reopening EU accession talks, official count confirms | Euronews https://share.google/qGr5QKn2UHeS5E8tO