Iceland said no this Sunday to the reactivation of the accession process to the European Union in a referendum that has dismantled previous polls, which anticipated a slight advantage for those in favor of moving towards incorporation. The result reflects the strong distrust of a good part of the Icelandic citizenry towards Brussels, especially on sensitive issues such as the possible integration into a common fisheries policy.
The 'No' currently stands at 52.5% (99,037 ballots), which represents a five percentage point advantage over those supporting the resumption of talks with European institutions (47.5%, 89,459 votes), pending the completion of the counting in the southwestern constituency, where a change in trend is considered unfeasible, according to projections from Iceland's public broadcaster (RUV).
Iceland opened accession negotiations in 2010, but suspended them three years later, among other reasons due to the clash over the consequences of joining the common fisheries policy. The triumph of the 'No' implies that the electorate has rejected the guarantees offered by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and, in particular, by the liberal Minister of Economy Dadi Már Kristófersson, the main promoter of the consultation, to protect its fishing industry.