Iceland Referendum Complicates Country’s EU Integration Process
Around 53% of referendum voters in Iceland opposed resuming EU accession talks, dealing a blow to the bloc's efforts to overcome enlargement stagnation.
Yulduz Salimov1 min read
The outcome of Iceland's referendum on resuming European Union accession talks has dealt a blow to the bloc's efforts to overcome stagnation and revive the enlargement process. The vote took place on Saturday, with around 53% of Icelanders voting against resuming the negotiation process.
The EU enlargement process stalled in 2013 following the accession of Croatia, after which the bloc's membership even shrank due to the departure of the United Kingdom.
On Saturday, Icelanders narrowly rejected EU membership talks, dealing a blow to nascent efforts to overcome this stagnation. And this is particularly painful because this time it is not the EU explaining to a country why it cannot join the bloc, but Iceland declaring that it is already sufficiently integrated, thank you very much.
Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009 against the backdrop of the global financial crisis. In 2013, the country's new government froze negotiations, notably due to disagreements with Brussels over agriculture and fisheries. The recent vote put an end to attempts to resume dialogue, although Iceland retains the option to reapply for membership in the future.
Source: ria.ru
