RT explores the reasons why people in the island nation chose to keep the European Union at arm’s length
Published 31 Aug, 2026 09:37
A voter casts a ballot during Iceland’s referendum on EU membership talks, Reykjavik, August 29, 2026. © AP Photo / Marco Di Marco
Icelanders appear to have found a way to have their cake and eat it by rejecting a proposal to restart integration talks with the EU, RT’s Rachel Marsden reports.
In a referendum on the weekend, almost 53% of voters in the northern Atlantic nation supported maintaining the status quo rather than exploring the possibility of EU membership.
The small island country already has access to many of the benefits offered by the economic bloc, but cannot be dictated to by Brussels on key domestic policy issues, such as access to fishing resources or immigration policy.
Watch the video to learn more.
