Drop The Fretting Over Fish, Join The EU

A Swede makes the case for Iceland connecting with Europe

Dear Icelanders,

It is the year 2015. In the U.K., the Referendum Act was brewing. In Brussels, the migration crisis dominated every conversation. It was a time of uncertainty, division, and political upheaval. Believe it or not, a decade has passed since then.

The same year, you formally withdrew your application to join the EU. You had every right to be skeptical. Why, by your own free will, would you entangle yourselves in the turmoil of the continent?

At the time, you were probably right. Fast forward 10 years, and the world has flipped upside down.

Since 1949, Iceland has relied on NATO for its national security — an alliance that has provided stability and protection without demanding an army of your own. But under Trump’s presidency, that security umbrella is being swept away by the North Sea breeze.

Iceland is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. Despite your Viking heritage, you are a nation that values diplomacy and cooperation over conflict. Paradoxically, this peace could now make you vulnerable.

The U.S. no longer sees peaceful nations with liberal democratic values as necessarily allied. Trump’s obsession with buying Greenland and Vice President JD Vance’s claim that Denmark is a “bad ally”, is not just bluster — it is a sign of a shifting geopolitical reality. Is that how a NATO ally should be treated?

Where does that leave you, Iceland — without an army, without guarantees, without certainty?

If you were to reconsider EU membership, it would do more than reshape your future. It would send ripples through the North Atlantic. Norway would feel the pressure to follow. The Faroe Islands and Greenland would [reevaluate] the few ebbing perks of staying out in the cold. If Sweden and Finland reconsidered NATO after 200 years of Swedish neutrality, Icelandic EU membership at least deserves consideration.

Of course, fisheries remain a valid concern. The protection of your waters, your industry and national identity is non-negotiable. But let me assure you — your concerns can be accommodated. What we face today is far bigger than fishing rights. It is about the rights of free nations to determine their own future.

Liberal democracies must stand together in this blizzard. Just as we have done in the Nordics for centuries, we must defend our shared values—not just with words, but with unity.

It is time to drop the fish and join the European club. Not just for our sake, but for yours.

Markus Barnevik Olsson, local Stockholm politician for the Swedish Greens.