©Andrey Andreyev via Unsplash
On August 29, Iceland will hold a referendum on a pressing question: should Iceland join the European Union?
The referendum resolution was accepted in parliament with a clear majority (34 votes in favor, 8 against and 14 abstentions). This was reported by the public broadcaster RÚV.
Island has had a bumpy ride on the matter. For example, in 2009, in full financial crisis, the country had applied for EU membership. But four years later, the new conservative government in Reykjavik decided to freeze accession negotiations. Then in 2015, the Icelandic government formally asked to no longer be considered a candidate country.
According to a poll by RÚV in early February of this year, public opinion in Iceland is still divided over membership. For now, supporters and opponents of accession keep each other roughly in balance. So it promises to be an exciting referendum. With about 385,000 inhabitants, Iceland has one of the lowest population densities in Europe. They will decide at the end of August whether or not their country will restart EU accession procedures. Of course, the result of the referendum does not automatically make them an immediate EU member. The procedures can then be restarted.
Iceland is a constitutional republic with the Alþingi parliament, founded in 930 AD and possibly the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world. There is no king but a president as head of state, who is elected by direct election every four years. The current president is Halla Tómasdóttir, who has served her first term since August 1, 2024.
©Andrey Andreyev via Unsplash - Illustration image of Icelandic nature