Close race as Iceland votes on whether to restart talks on joining EU

In Iceland, on 29 August 2026, voters took part in a knife-edge referendum on whether to restart talks on joining the European Union. Euronews reported high preliminary turnout in an expected close race, and the first partial results showed a razor-thin margin.

Euronews later reported that the 'No' vote had an almost unassailable 52.5% lead, and Reuters reported that Iceland rejected EU accession talks in the close-fought referendum. EurActiv and CNews described the island as deeply divided between 'no thanks' and 'yes, to see'.