Iceland plans referendum on resuming EU accession talks
Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir announced on Wednesday that a national referendum would be held in the coming months to decide whether the country should resume negotiations to join the European Union, Qazinform News Agency learned from Anadolu.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Warsaw with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, she emphasized that the final decision on such a major shift in foreign policy must ultimately be made by the Icelandic people.
Tusk voiced strong backing for Iceland’s possible accession, stressing that the EU’s doors remain open if Iceland chooses to proceed.
“I would be very happy if Iceland, Norway and other countries in Europe became part of the same empire as Poland,” he said.
Iceland’s EU bid has been frozen since 2015, when the government formally withdrew its 2009 application amid disagreements over fishing quotas and concerns about national sovereignty.
Although Iceland continues to participate in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Schengen Area, public debate persists at home, particularly regarding the stability of the Icelandic krona and rising inflation.
