Iceland rejects EU accession talks after divisive referendum campaign

Well-funded no camp prevails, winning 52.8% of votes and gaining plaudits from Eurosceptic figures across Europe Analysis: Definitely no or maybe yes – what tipped the Icelandic referendum Voters in Iceland have ⁠rejected ⁠a government proposal ​to reopen ⁠accession talks with ⁠the ​EU after a closely fought referendum campaign that divided the country against a backdrop of global volatility. After a long and anxious night for those on both sides of the debate, the no camp ended up with 52.8% of votes on Sunday morning and the yes camp with 47.2%. Voter turnout was high at 82.5%. The vote was held in the shadow of repeated threats by Donald Trump to invade or acquire neighbouring Greenland. Although Iceland is a Nato member, supporters of EU membership said European solidarity would provide greater protection if Trump ever made similar threats towards the smaller, Arctic island. At a press conference the prime minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir, said the campaign had “raised the debate in Iceland to a higher level” while acknowledging that there were aspects that “could have been done better”. Given how close the outcome was, she said, it was important to respect the views of yes vote