REYKJAVIK, 30th August, 2026 (WAM) -- Iceland has voted to reject the resumption of European Union accession talks with a record turnout for a referendum that swung back and forth through the night.
Iceland's 'No' camp has narrowly won a referendum on whether to resume the country's suspended European Union membership negotiations officials confirm.
The final results were confirmed as 105,399 (47.2%) said "Yes", while 118,040 (52.8%) said "no". A total of 225,031 votes were cast, resulting in a voter turnout of 82.5%.
The "No" outcome will shelve the EU debate in Icelandic politics for at least two more years.
The nation of roughly 400,000 people, first sought EU membership after the 2009 financial crisis pushed its economy to the brink, but accession talks stalled in 2013 once a euroskeptic coalition took power.
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's current Social Democratic-led government revived the question this year, arguing that a more volatile international climate made it worth asking voters whether to pursue closer EU ties.
The referendum campaign has fuelled debate about Iceland's place in the world, Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir told reporters after casting her ballot in the capital on Saturday.
"This is a great day. We've been waiting for this for years to be able to have a vote," Frostadottir said, adding that her government would continue its work regardless of the outcome.
Iceland first applied to join the EU in 2009 when a financial crisis hit the country's small, exposed economy. A Eurosceptic government ended talks in 2013.