Iceland Schedules August 29 Referendum on EU Membership

The Icelandic parliament voted to hold a referendum on August 29 asking voters whether to restart accession negotiations with the European Union. If approved, negotiations would resume and the final terms of membership would be decided in a second referendum; a negative vote would end the process. The referendum could pave the way for Iceland to become the EU’s 28th member by the end of the decade, with the foreign minister noting a possible accession date as early as 2028, focusing discussions on fisheries and agriculture.

Parliamentary support for the vote was 34 in favor, eight against, with fourteen members absent and seven not present during the session. The move follows a 2013 suspension of talks after a euro‑skeptical government took power. Rising living costs and the war in Ukraine have revived public interest, according to polls. Political scientist Olavur Þórður Hardarson said many voters want to see the exact terms before deciding, which could explain the two‑stage approach.