Iceland Votes Against Restarting EU Membership Talks in Referendum

Iceland has rejected a plan to resume European Union accession talks in a national referendum, according to reports from the country's public broadcaster. The vote was described as extremely close before final results confirmed the 'no' side had prevailed, signaling that Icelanders remain deeply skeptical of EU membership. Iceland first applied for EU membership in 2009 during a severe financial crisis but suspended those talks in 2013 without completing them. The referendum comes at a geopolitically charged moment, with U.S. President Donald Trump publicly expressing interest in Greenland, a neighboring Nordic territory, which had fueled renewed debate across the region about European sovereignty and alliance. The result means Iceland will not formally restart accession negotiations with Brussels for the foreseeable future. The outcome is a significant setback for pro-EU voices in Iceland who had hoped shifting global pressures might change public opinion on membership.