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"It does not solve economic problems and does not increase security"/ Opposition in Iceland against EU membership

2026-06-25 09:48:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"It does not solve economic problems and does not increase security"/

Iceland's opposition leader, Gudrun Hafsteinsdottir, has spoken out against resuming negotiations for the country's membership in the European Union, arguing that membership would not solve Iceland's economic problems nor strengthen national security.

In an interview with Reuters , she stated that Iceland's security relies on NATO and the bilateral defense agreement with the United States.

" The EU does not replace NATO and EU membership is not a magic shield against geopolitical risks ," Hafsteinsdottir said.

On August 29, Icelandic citizens will vote in a referendum that is not directly about EU membership, but about resuming negotiations that were suspended in 2013, when a Eurosceptic government came to power. Any potential membership deal would then have to be approved in a second referendum.

According to a recent poll, 44.5% of Icelanders support resuming talks with the EU, while 39.4% are against and 14.6% remain undecided. However, the majority of citizens continue to oppose full membership in the union.

On the other hand, Iceland's Finance Minister, Dadi Mar Kristofersson, argues that EU membership would help the country cope with geopolitical pressures and the high cost of living.

Hafsteinsdottir disputes this argument, stressing that Iceland's economic problems are structural and cannot be solved through EU membership. According to her, the small and isolated market, the lack of competition in sectors such as food and housing, as well as high inflation and interest rates after the pandemic, are the main challenges for the Icelandic economy.

Another sensitive issue remains fishing, one of the main pillars of Iceland's economy and national identity. The sector fears that inclusion in the EU's Common Fisheries Policy could open Icelandic waters to foreign fleets.

"Fishing is in our DNA, it is part of our independence. It is completely unacceptable to share our fish stocks with other countries. We will never accept this ," she declared. /CNA





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