Last weekend, Iceland voted no to resuming negotiations to join the EU. The vote was extremely close, but it still prompts a bigger question: in an age of Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping, what does the EU need to offer to make membership more attractive?
In Iceland’s case, the answer may lie in the fact that the country is already deeply embedded in NATO and European structures, reducing the incentive to take the final step towards full EU membership. In many ways, the result shows approval of the current Iceland-EU relationship and status quo.
The no vote therefore does not signal a rupture in Iceland’s relationship with the EU, particularly as the country continues to seek deeper collaboration with the bloc.
ALDE Party member Viðreisn is continuing to push for closer Iceland-EU ties. Party leader Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir commented on the vote in the aftermath of the referendum:
“The work continues. The European Union was never an end in itself, but rather one path toward a broader goal of long-term stability, security and a stronger position for Iceland. Although this particular path will not be taken at this time, that goal remains unchanged.
The EEA Agreement will continue to be a vital pillar of Iceland’s interests, and we must manage it effectively. In a harsher world for small states, cooperation with our closest friends and allies becomes even more important. In this context, we continue to strengthen Iceland’s position, enhance societal resilience and steadfastly safeguard Icelandic interests.”
Iceland’s position illustrates the unusual flexibility of Europe’s current integration model. Countries can participate in major parts of the European project without becoming EU members, making the choice between membership and non-membership less clear-cut.
That arrangement could also offer lessons for other non-EU countries, including the UK, as they consider how to rebuild closer ties with the bloc without pursuing membership.
Following the referendum, liberals will continue to push for closer European ties and keep Iceland’s European future firmly on the agenda. The result may have closed one door for now, but it does not end the wider debate about Iceland’s place in Europe.
For Iceland’s liberals, the case for closer ties has only grown stronger amidst Russian aggression, unreliability of the US and Donald Trump’s threats towards Greenland, which have all raised questions about the alliances Iceland has traditionally relied on.
EU countries may see this as a moment for reflection. Iceland’s close relationship with the bloc shows that European cooperation remains attractive, while also highlighting the importance of making full membership an attractive prospect in its own right.
For Iceland, the referendum may be a no to restarting negotiations today - but it is hardly a no to Europe.