Icelandic European Union membership referendum

Last updated

A referendum on the resumption of European Union membership negotiations has been proposed to be held in Iceland. The referendum was suggested after the Independence Party and the Progressive Party formed a coalition government following the April 2013 parliamentary elections. [1] The previous Social Democratic Alliance led government had suspended opening of new chapters within the accession negotiations prior to the election (the opened chapters are still negotiated about), and the incoming government vowed not to resume them unless they were first given a mandate to do so by a referendum.

Contents

Background

The then Social Democratic Alliance led government of Iceland applied to join the EU in July 2009 after the country suffered a severe financial crisis. Despite three years of negotiations, several major issues remain outstanding, including the Common Fisheries Policy. [1] On 14 January, the Icelandic government announced that negotiations would be suspended until after the parliamentary election in April. [2] No new chapters will be opened prior to the election, though negotiations will continue on chapters that have already been opened. [3] The ruling left-wing parties suffered a major defeat in the elections, while the centrist Progressive Party had a large victory.

The leaders of the Progressive Party and the Independence Party, which both oppose Icelandic EU membership, announced on 22 May 2013 that a coalition platform had been reached that would suspend all accession talks with the EU and not resume them unless first approved by a referendum. [1] [4] [5] The advisor to Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, the incoming Prime Minister, stated that "later in the term there will be a referendum on whether Iceland should continue the talks, although no date has been decided." [6] [7] The new Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson stated that "We believe the accession talks were started without the necessary support in Iceland. We will not go further with the talks. We also have to listen to what the EU has to say about our approach; maybe it will make no sense to hold a referendum" [8]

On 22 February, the governing parties agreed to formally withdraw the membership application, without first holding a referendum on the matter, and submitted a bill to parliament seeking their approval to do so. [9] [10] However, on February 25, Ragnheiður Ríkharðsdóttir, Chairman of the Independence Party parliamentarian group, announced her intention to not vote in favour of the proposal. [11]

The Independence/Progressive coalition lost its majority in the 2016 Icelandic parliamentary election. After several failed attempts to form a government from alternative combinations, a new coalition was formed in January 2017, led by the Independence party and joined by Regeneration and Bright Future, both of whom support EU membership and the former of whom was originally a splinter movement that left the Independence party over this very issue. The coalition deal included a pledge to hold a parliamentary vote on whether to hold an EU membership referendum.

On 21 March 2022, party leaders from the Social Democratic Alliance, the Pirate Party, and the Reform Party, have submitted their proposals to the Althing that an EU membership referendum be held before the end of 2022. [12] [13]

On 15 September 2022, the three party leaders from those parties made a draft question to the referendum: "Do you want Iceland to take up the matter in negotiations with the European Union with the aim of concluding a membership agreement that would be submitted to the nation for approval or rejection? Answer options would be yes or no." [14]

On 20 September, the leader of the Social Democratic Alliance, Logi Már Einarsson, wrote a speech for Icelandic President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson requesting the referendum before the end of 2023. [15]

On 23 March 2023, according to Jon Steindor Valdimarsson, as the polls indicates that 66% supported on the referendum, he believed that such scenario would be that such referendum should be held before the next elections in 2025. [16]

On 18 September 2023, made a draft bill for the referendum Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir with support from the members of the Social Democratic Alliance, the Pirate Party, and the Reform Party, including Logi Már. [17]

As of 10 October, it is now in the hands of the Foreign Affairs Committee. [17]

Public opinion

In May 2013 voter support for joining the European Union was at 25%. [18] A poll released in January 2014 found that 67.5% of Icelanders support holding a referendum on the continuation of accession negotiations. [19] The government's decision in late February to withdraw Iceland's membership application without a referendum led to thousands of protesters taking to the streets outside of the Parliament buildings in Reykjavik. [20] [21] [22] By 28 February 2014, 82% were in favour of holding the referendum. [23] As of 20 January 2015, 53,555 people (22.1% of Iceland's voters) had signed a petition demanding that the promised referendum be held. [24] A Gallup poll conducted in the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine indicated a plurality of support among Icelanders (47%) for joining the European Union. [25]

Opinion polls on Icelandic membership in the European Union
InstituteRelease dateForAgainstUnsureNet for
Frettabladid [26] 22 November 202242.8%35.1%22.1%+7.7%
Gallup 9 March 202247%33%20%+14%
MMR 2 May 201728.6%48.7%22.7%-20.1%
MMR 24 February 201726.4%54.9%18.7%-28.5%
Vísir 21 March 201529%71%–-42%
MMR 14 July 201437.4%45.1%17.5%-7.7%
Gallup 5 March 201427.6%52.2%20.2%-24.9%
Capacent 19 November 201341.7%58.3%–-16.6%
Maskína 19 November 201327.4%50.7%20.9%-23.3%
Capacent-Gallup 18 June 201137.3%50.1%12.6%-12.8%
MMR 12 May 201126.3%58.7%15.0%-32.4%
Capacent 18 October 200848.7%27.0%24.3%+21.7%
InstituteRelease dateForAgainstUnsureNet for

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceland</span> Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean

Iceland is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is linked culturally and politically with Europe and is the region's most sparsely populated country. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the country's roughly 380,000 residents. The official language of the country is Icelandic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Iceland</span>

The politics of Iceland take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, while the prime minister of Iceland serves as the head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament, the Althingi. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social Democratic Alliance</span> Political party in Iceland

The Social Democratic Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Iceland. The party is positioned on the centre-left of the political spectrum and their leader is Kristrún Frostadóttir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive Party (Iceland)</span> Political party in Iceland

The Progressive Party is an agrarian political party in Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Left-Green Movement</span> Political party in Iceland

The Left-Green Movement, also known by its short-form name Vinstri græn (VG), is an eco-socialist political party in Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberal Party (Iceland)</span> Political party in Iceland

The Liberal Party was a liberal political party in Iceland. Its main issue was fisheries policy and it drew its main support from coastal villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceland–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Iceland is heavily integrated into the European Union via the Agreement on the European Economic Area and the Schengen Agreement, despite its status as a non-EU member state. Iceland applied for membership in 2009. The Minister for Foreign Affairs sent a letter in 2015 that ended the application process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norway–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Norway is not a member state of the European Union (EU). However, it is associated with the Union through its membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), signed in 1992 and established in 1994. Norway was a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960, which was originally set up as an alternative to the European Economic Community (EEC), the main predecessor of the EU. Norway had considered joining both the EEC and the European Union, but opted to decline following referendums in 1972 and 1994. According to the European Social Survey conducted in 2018, 73.6% of Norwegians would vote 'No' in a referendum to join the European Union. Norway shares land borders with two EU member states, namely Finland and Sweden, and maritime borders with a third, Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potential enlargement of the European Union</span> Potential candidates for admission into the European Union

There are nine recognised candidates for membership of the European Union: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Kosovo formally submitted its application for membership in 2022 and is considered a potential candidate by the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir</span> Prime Minister of Iceland from 2009 to 2013

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is an Icelandic politician, who served as prime minister of Iceland from 2009 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests</span> Movement protesting the Icelandic governments handling of the 2009 financial crisis

The 2009–2011 Icelandic financial crisis protests, also referred to as the Kitchenware, Kitchen Implement or Pots and Pans Revolution, occurred in the wake of the Icelandic financial crisis. There had been regular and growing protests since October 2008 against the Icelandic government's handling of the financial crisis. The protests intensified on 20 January 2009 with thousands of people protesting at the parliament (Althing) in Reykjavík. These were at the time the largest protests in Icelandic history.

Snap parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 25 April 2009, following strong pressure from the public as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis. The Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement, which formed the outgoing coalition government under Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, both made gains and formed an overall majority of seats in the Althing. The Progressive Party also made gains, and the new Citizens' Movement, formed after the January 2009 protests, gained four seats. The big loser was the Independence Party, which had been in power for 18 years until January 2009: it lost a third of its support and nine seats in the Althing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katrín Jakobsdóttir</span> Prime Minister of Iceland from 2017 to 2024

Katrín Jakobsdóttir is an Icelandic politician who served as the prime minister of Iceland from 2017 to 2024 and was a member of the Althing for the Reykjavík North constituency from 2007 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Icelandic parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 27 April 2013. Fifteen parties contested the elections, compared to just seven in the previous elections. The result was a victory for the two centre-right opposition parties, the Independence Party and Progressive Party, which subsequently formed a coalition government. The parties were eurosceptic and their win brought to a halt partially completed negotiations with the European Union regarding Icelandic membership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceland in the Cold War</span>

Throughout the Cold War, the nation of Iceland was a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and allied with the United States, hosting a US military presence in Keflavík Air Base from 1951 to 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pirate Party (Iceland)</span> Political party in Iceland

The Pirate Party is a political party in Iceland. The party's platform is based on pirate politics and direct democracy. The party was founded on 24 November 2012 and ran for the first time in the 2013 parliamentary election.

Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 29 October 2016. They were due to be held on or before 27 April 2017, but following the 2016 Icelandic anti-government protests, the ruling coalition announced that early elections would be held "in autumn".

The Viðreisn is a liberal centre to centre-right political party in Iceland that was founded on 24 May 2016 but had existed as a political network since June 2014. It split from the Independence Party, mainly over discontent with its decision to not hold a referendum on joining the European Union and the lack of support for free trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre Party (Iceland)</span> Political party in Iceland

The Centre Party is a Nordic agrarian, populist and conservative political party in Iceland, established in September 2017. It split from the Progressive Party due to leadership disputes, when two factions decided to band up as a new party before the 2017 Icelandic parliamentary election. The Centre Party belongs to the Nordic agrarian party family; like many parties in Iceland, is Eurosceptic.

A nationwide referendum is scheduled to be held in Moldova on 20 October 2024 on whether the country should amend the Constitution of Moldova to include the Moldovan citizens' wish for European Union membership, in order to prevent future governments from derailing the country from its pro-European trajectory.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Icelanders to get a referendum on joining the EU BBC News, 22 May 2013
  2. ↑ "Iceland Won't Finish EU Talks Before Next Parliament Elections". Businessweek . 2012-03-26. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
  3. ↑ "BREAKING NEWS: Iceland to Slow Down EU Talks". Iceland Review . 2013-01-14. Archived from the original on 2013-10-24. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  4. ↑ Gardner, Andrew (2013-05-23). "Iceland to hold vote on EU accession talks". Politico Europe . Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  5. ↑ "Stjórnarsáttmáli kynntur á Laugarvatni". 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  6. ↑ "Government to halt EU accession talks indefinitely". 2013-05-25. Archived from the original on 2014-07-31. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  7. ↑ "Iceland Freezes EU Plans as New Government Shuns Euro Crisis". 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  8. ↑ Milne, Richard (2013-05-22). "Iceland's new coalition government suspends EU accession talks". Financial Times . Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  9. ↑ "Iceland moves to withdraw EU application". The Hindu . 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  10. ↑ "Iceland to withdraw EU membership bid amid protests". IceNews. 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  11. ↑ Stefánsson, Páll (2014-02-26). "Ten Percent of Icelanders Sign EU Referendum Petition". Iceland Review . Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  12. ↑ johannav (2022-03-21). "Vilja þjóðaratkvæðagreiðslu um ESB-aðild". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  13. ↑ "From Iceland — Question Of Iceland Joining The EU Hangs In The Balance In Parliament". The Reykjavik Grapevine. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  14. ↑ johannav (2022-09-15). "Vilja þjóðaratkvæðagreiðslu um viðræður við ESB". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  15. ↑ "þjóðaratkvæðagreiðsla um framhald viðræðna við Evrópusambandið". Alþingi (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  16. ↑ lars. "Iceland starting to ponder EU membership". Nordic Labour Journal.
  17. 1 2 "Þjóðaratkvæðagreiðsla um framhald viðræðna við Evrópusambandið". Alþingi (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  18. ↑ Iceland heads for EU referendum The Daily Telegraph, 22 May 2013
  19. ↑ Fontaine, Paul (2014-01-31). "Most Icelanders Want Vote On Finishing EU Talks". The Reykjavík Grapevine . Archived from the original on 2014-02-04. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  20. ↑ Robert, Zoë (2014-02-25). "Three Thousand Protest outside Parliament". Iceland Review . Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  21. ↑ Robert, Zoë (2014-02-24). "Icelanders Protest Government's Plans to Stop EU Talks". Iceland Review . Archived from the original on 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  22. ↑ Milne, Richard (2014-02-27). "Thousands demand EU referendum in Iceland". Financial Times . Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  23. ↑ Robert, Zoë (2014-02-28). "Eighty-Two Percent Want EU Referendum". Iceland Review . Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  24. ↑ SVALA ARNARSDÓTTIR, EYGLÓ (2015-01-20). "Pro-EU Rally Underway in Iceland". Iceland Review . Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  25. ↑ Gallup: Largest Portion Of Icelanders Favour Joining The European Union Reykjavik Grapevine, 10 March 2022
  26. ↑ "Þriðja könnunin í röð sem sýnir meirihluta fyrir aðild að Evrópusambandinu". Kjarninn (in Icelandic). 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.