PREVIEW

Iceland Votes Against Restarting EU Membership Talks. Iceland has voted against reopening negotiations to join the European Union, 13 years after accession talks were suspended. 52.8% voted against resuming negotiations, while 47.2% supported the proposal, with around 12,600 votes separating the two sides. Turnout reached 82.5%, reportedly the highest in an Icelandic election since 2009. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's government brought the referendum forward amid international tensions, including U.S. President Donald Trump's threats against Greenland. However, the campaign focused largely on Iceland's fishing industry, which accounts for almost 40% of the country's exports. Many No voters feared EU membership could reduce Iceland's control over its valuable fishing grounds under the bloc's fisheries policies. Reykjavík backed restarting EU talks, while rural areas were more strongly opposed, and Frostadóttir said the issue would not be revisited during her government's term. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage welcomed the result, saying Icelanders had voted "to keep their independence," while France's Marine Le Pen also praised the outcome.
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