{"id":2652333,"date":"2026-08-31T13:26:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T17:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eurosceptics-laud-icelands-rejection-of-european-union-referendum\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T13:37:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T17:37:03","slug":"eurosceptics-laud-icelands-rejection-of-european-union-referendum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eurosceptics-laud-icelands-rejection-of-european-union-referendum\/","title":{"rendered":"Eurosceptics laud Iceland&#8217;s rejection of European Union referendum"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Feurosceptics-laud-icelands-rejection-of-european-union-referendum%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2652333&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Icelandic voters have overwhelmingly rejected a referendum to resume negotiations for joining the European Union, with about 52.8% voting against and 47.2% in favor. This result underscores widespread euroscepticism in Iceland, and opposition parties celebrated the decision, which effectively rules out a move toward EU membership without further public approval. Iceland\u2019s government had previously taken a cautious approach, emphasizing that negotiations were merely exploratory and that the public&#8217;s clear \u201cNo\u201d message would influence future actions. Leaders from other eurosceptic countries, including Marine Le Pen of france and nigel Farage of Britain, praised Iceland&#8217;s rejection, viewing it as a stand for national sovereignty and independent european cooperation. The vote has broader implications amid geopolitical tensions in the Arctic region, where concerns over Russian and Chinese activities and U.S.interests in Greenland influence regional security strategies. The referendum\u2019s outcome reflects Icelanders\u2019 desire to maintain close ties with Europe without full membership, and it influences ongoing debates about sovereignty and regional security in the Arctic.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iceland\/\">Icelandic voters<\/a> have rejected a referendum that would reopen negotiations to join the European Union, raising the spirits of eurosceptics both on the island and abroad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Final results <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ruv.is\/english\/2026-08-29-iceland-rejects-eu-accession-talks-485377\">reported<\/a> by national broadcaster RUV show that approximately 52.8% of the public voted against the referendum, conclusively beating the affirmative voters\u2019 47.2%. Opposition parties immediately took a victory lap over the fact their country would not even sit at the negotiating table with the supranational alliance.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4706048\/eurosceptics-laud-iceland-rejection-eu-referendum-marine-le-pen\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Eurosceptics laud Iceland\u2019s rejection of EU referendum: \u2018Another Europe is possible\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4705193\/russian-strike-near-kyiv-kills-37-one-of-deadliest-attacks\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Russian strike near Kyiv kills 37, in one of the year\u2019s deadliest attacks<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4703645\/bret-baier-trump-iran-story-truth-social\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Bret Baier tuts Trump after president rips Iran story: \u2018We didn\u2019t say you wanted to meet\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cKnowing that Icelanders are not enthusiastic about EU membership, the government decided to take a rather peculiar approach,\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sigmundurdavid\/status\/2094065380943675581\">said<\/a> Sigmundur Dav\u00ed\u00f0, former Icelandic prime minister and current leader of the Center Party in parliament.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">A supporter waves a European Union flag during an election-night gathering for the yes in Reykjavik, Iceland, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Marco Di Marco)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26242149974963.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A supporter waves a European Union flag during an election-night gathering for the yes in Reykjavik, Iceland, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Marco Di Marco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continued: \u201cThey constantly emphasized that it was only a question of \u2018finding out what the EU is willing to offer us\u2019, \u2018taking a peek inside the gift package\u2019, and then deciding later. The people said, \u2018No thanks!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The referendum \u2014 which asked the question \u201cShould Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?\u201d \u2014 was advisory in nature and does not change any national law or compel any action. But any action to advance Iceland toward membership without a mandate from the voters would be seen as politically suicidal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gu\u00f0r\u00fan Hafsteinsd\u00f3ttir, leader of the similarly eurosceptic Independence Party, urged the government to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iceland-european-union-election-referendum-accession-fish-d29f8d4e140894fe22db17005e9c2a2e\">abandon all future initiatives<\/a> for EU membership or risk damaging Iceland\u2019s friendly relationship with the bloc.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe best way to heal the wounds is for the government to listen to the conclusion and put this path aside,\u201d she told RUV, the national broadcaster. \u201cBecause we want to remain in close contact with the European Union, Europe and as many other countries as possible, the nation is sending a clear message that we intend to steer that course ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celebration of the referendum\u2019s result was not limited to Iceland itself. Eurosceptic politicians from across the continent \u2014 some of whom are currently running anti-EU campaigns in their own countries \u2014 lauded the voters\u2019 decision as a blow against the alliance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In France, National Rally leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marine-le-pen\/\">Marine Le Pen<\/a> praised Icelandic voters for delivering a \u201ccrystal-clear message.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBy rejecting through referendum the resumption of accession negotiations with the European Union, the Icelandic people have recalled an obvious truth: membership in the European Union is not the natural horizon for every European democracy,\u201d Le Pen said in a statement. \u201cAt a time when some are pushing for greater federalism and the transfer of sovereignty to the European Commission, this vote reminds us that another Europe is possible, an Europe of free, sovereign nations cooperating voluntarily on matters of common interest.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Icelandic Prime Minister Kristr\u00fan Frostad\u00f3ttir, center, speaks as Minister of Education and Children Inga S\u00e6land, left, and Foreign Minister \u00deorger\u00f0ur Katr\u00edn Gunnarsd\u00f3ttir listen during a news conference at Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Marco Di Marco)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26242548099196.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Icelandic Prime Minister Kristr\u00fan Frostad\u00f3ttir, center, speaks as Minister of Education and Children Inga S\u00e6land, left, and Foreign Minister \u00deorger\u00f0ur Katr\u00edn Gunnarsd\u00f3ttir listen during a news conference at Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Marco Di Marco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Britain, Reform UK leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nigel-farage\/\">Nigel Farage<\/a> issued a statement congratulating the island country for \u201cvoting to keep their independence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4702766\/iceland-referendum-eu-trump-greenland\/\">HOW TRUMP\u2019S GREENLAND OVERTURES HAVE SPILLED INTO CIELAND\u2019S REFERENDUM ON JOINING EU<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Nigel_Farage\/status\/2093982225737904567\"><\/a>President Donald Trump\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4579018\/greenland-americans-go-home-us-consulate\/\">bellicose demands<\/a> for American ownership of neighboring Greenland were a significant consideration in Iceland\u2019s debates about EU membership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Encroachments of Russian and Chinese vessels in the surrounding Arctic region are seen as a national security threat, and the White House maintains that the United States must be able to operate without hindrance around Greenland to address emerging risks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the joint Northern Viking exercise conducted in Iceland between almost a dozen NATO member states earlier this month, NATO\u2019s supreme allied commander for Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/world-news\/2026\/08\/24\/iceland-nato-country-no-army-russia-forcing-defence-rethink\/\">grimly joked<\/a> that \u201csupposed Russian and Chinese research vessels are conducting joint patrols\u201d in the region but \u201cwe all know they\u2019re not up here counting puffins.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has, on occasion, mixed up the names of Greenland and Iceland when talking about his expansionist aims \u2014 highlighting the proximity of the two nations and the uncertainty of future sovereignty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iceland rejects EU membership bid; eurosceptics celebrate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2652334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26242548099196.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32233,84926,33505,5894,20766],"class_list":["post-2652333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-european-union","tag-euroscepticism","tag-iceland","tag-politics","tag-referendum"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26242548099196.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2652333"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2652341,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652333\/revisions\/2652341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2652334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2652333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2652333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2652333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}