Icelanders have rejected the resumption of EU accession talks, according to the final results of yesterday's referendum, world agencies reported, quoted by BTA.
Agence France-Presse describes the result as a serious blow for Brussels, which had looked favorably on the candidacy of the wealthy island state in the North Atlantic.
To the question "Should Iceland resume EU accession talks?" 52.8% of Icelanders answered "no" and 47.2% "yes", according to official results published by public broadcaster RUV after all ballots were counted.
Despite the small margin - around 118,000 people voted against resuming EU talks, while around 105,000 voted in favour - The result is a blow to the pro-European government led by the Social Democrats, the DPA notes.
The Associated Press points out that the capital Reykjavik was the only region in the country that supported the resumption of negotiations in the referendum.
The government has pledged to hold a referendum on the resumption of accession talks after coming to power after elections in 2024, and the referendum was announced in March.
Prime Minister Kristúrn Frostadóttir said that her Social Democratic government would comply with the decision of the voters.
Frostadóttir led an active campaign to vote in favor of the resumption of negotiations with the EU. Even as the ballots were still being counted, she expressed hope that the referendum would not divide the country, DPA reported.
“I know that some people take things very emotionally, but now I have had the opportunity to talk to a large group of people from different parts of the country and I see that they are quite willing to accept other possible outcomes,“ she told Icelandic public television.
The announced results are likely to freeze any discussions about Iceland's membership until at least 2028 and are a disappointment for the EU, which seemed ready to compromise to accept Iceland into its ranks, AFP noted.
In 2009, after a severe financial crisis that rocked its economy, the country with a population of nearly 400,000 people applied for EU membership, but in 2013, after a eurosceptic government came to power, negotiations were frozen.
A northern NATO member, Iceland is facing growing pressure to strengthen its ties with continental Europe, DPA notes.
Doubts about the US commitment to the security of Europe and Iceland in particular, growing geopolitical rivalry in the Arctic and Washington's threats to take control of Greenland - an Arctic island west of Iceland - have contributed to this shift.
However, the security argument has apparently failed to convince enough voters, DPA notes.
Opponents of EU membership argue that joining the bloc would undermine Iceland's sovereignty, with fishing grounds a particularly worrisome issue. Fishing is a mainstay of Iceland's economy, and many opponents of European integration fear that the country will have to cede control of its maritime waters.
Opponents of resuming EU talks have also said that NATO membership and a bilateral defense agreement signed with the United States in 1951 are sufficient to guarantee the country's security. Distrust of US President Donald Trump also does not appear to have been a decisive factor, DPA reports.
Iceland is currently closely linked to the EU through its membership of the European Economic Area and the Schengen free movement area. These relations are expected to remain unchanged.
Brussels did not immediately comment on the referendum results. However, at a time when eurosceptic forces are gaining popularity in several EU member states, a signal from Reykjavik would be welcome for EU leaders, DPA notes.