Slim Majority Against Withdrawing EU Accession Application

A slim majority of Icelanders are opposed to the Foreign Minister’s desire to withdraw Iceland from European Union accession. At the same time, a larger majority favour a referendum on the matter.

Kjarninn reports that, according to the results of a poll conducted by Þjóðarpúls Gallup, 51% of respondents said they were opposed to withdrawing Iceland from EU accession negotiations, 39% said they supported it, and 10% had no opinion.

On the question of holding a public referendum on whether or not to continue accession, support becomes more distinct. 65% said they supported a referendum while only 24% were against it, and 12% were undecided.

Support was even greater when it came to whether or not Minister of Foreign Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson should have put accession withdrawal up for parliamentary vote, as opposed to sending a letter to Brussels declaring accession over. Nearly 75% of respondents said the matter should have been put before parliament first.

Support for withdrawing from accession was divided sharply along party lines. 88% of voters for the Progressive Party (from which Gunnar Bragi hails) supported withdrawal, as did 76% of those from the Independence Party; 19% of Left-Greens; 17% of Pirates; 14% of those from Bright Future and 6% of Social Democrats.