Results of a Gallup poll released Wednesday show that the majority (61.2%) of Icelanders are in favour of getting talks underway regarding EU membership. This is not to say that Icelanders are in favour of membership per se, rather that they are keen on discussing what implications joining the EU will have on Iceland.
In order to move forward with talks about joining the EU, Iceland’s government will introduce a bill that authorizes the Althingy to have the decision-making responsibility where the EU is concerned. “There will be a government resolution (on EU talks) tabled,” Social Democrat Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.
The Prime Minister and her Social Democrat party have been proponents of joining the EU and adopting the euro, saying that it will enable Iceland to work itself up out of the financial crisis. The Left-Green party, which forms a coalition with the Social Democrats, have been less eager about the EU and instead would like to see the issue decided upon by the people through a referendum. Leaving the EU decision up to the Althingy allows the standing coalition to agree to disagree.
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