Iceland Votes On EU Negotiations Next August

The Icelandic public will vote on a referendum whether to continue EU membership negotiations on August 29, 2026. The government stated these intentions during a press conference on March 6, 2026.

Yesterday, March 5, Foreign Minister and Liberal Alliance MP Þorgerður Katrín stated that a parliamentary motion concerning EU negotiations would be put forward at Alþingi next week.

When the current government coalition was formed, among the issues the political parties emphasised was finalising EU negotiations no later than 2027.

On February 23, Politico reported on Iceland restarting its EU membership process, suggesting that the current government sped up the process in light of U.S. tariff threats and Greenland annexation.

During the press conference, Prime Minister and Social Democrat MP Kristrún Frostadóttir stated that Iceland’s bargaining position was good. Þorgerður Katrín claimed that the government would never ratify a deal which would release Iceland’s ownership of its resources.

When asked if the goals of the negotiation were the same as during the previous attempt, Þorgerður replied that the same goals applied. That is, protecting Iceland’s resources and ensuring economic stability.

As described by Kristrún, the forthcoming referendum will exclusively decide whether or not to pursue negotiations. In the case of a positive conclusion, a second referendum will be held on Iceland’s membership.

Þorgerður voiced her concerns about Russia actors intervening during the elections, and Kristrún implored media to ensure professional reporting leading up to the referendum.

Preliminary objections from sceptics seem to be aimed at the date and timing of the referendum, citing that the majority of the public will be on summer leave on August 29.

The official summer vacation period ranges from May 2 to September 15, with most schools restarting in the end of August. Additionally, municipal and presidential elections are usually scheduled in May and June, respectively. No political party has objected against the timing of these elections.

A long road

Iceland’s history with EU membership dates back to 2009, when the former prime minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir’s government oversaw accession to the union. In 2013, the Progressive and Independence Party government suspended the talks, with the then-foreign minister claiming that negotiations had formally ceased in 2015.

The status of Iceland’s application has been debated, as the European Commission still viewed the enquiry as being active, according to a RÚV report in 2025.

Note: The Reykjavík Grapevine is broke. We need money. Recently we had to inform all of our journalists that we won’t be able to afford their work unless our fortunes change. It has been our purpose to bring journalism and cultural coverage of Iceland to the rest of the world for almost 24 years, and while business has always been difficult, it has become ever more so in the past few years, making it harder to fulfill our purpose. Any amount will help. More will help more. Donate here.

You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.

Also you can get regular news from Iceland — including the latest notifications on eruptions, as soon as they happen — by signing up to our newsletter.