Iceland's EU referendum tests bloc's appeal beyond eastern enlargement
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Iceland will hold a referendum on August 29 on restarting European Union accession talks with Brussels. The vote is seen as a test of the EU's appeal to wealthy northern non-members, even as the bloc's enlargement focus has shifted eastward.
Key Facts
- Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009 and began accession negotiations the following year.
- A new Icelandic government put the talks on hold in 2013, and Reykjavik told Brussels in 2015 that Iceland should no longer be considered a candidate.
- If Iceland joined, it would be the third richest EU member state per capita and a net contributor to the bloc's budget.
- Iceland is already part of the Schengen zone and the European Economic Area along with Liechtenstein and Norway.
The Referendum
On August 29, Iceland will hold a referendum on restarting European Union accession talks with Brussels. Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009 and began accession negotiations the following year, but a new government put the talks on hold in 2013. Two years later, Reykjavik told Brussels that Iceland should no longer be considered a candidate for membership, although it stopped short of formally withdrawing its application.
EU Appeal Test
Hallgrimur Oddsson, director of the think tank Evrópustraumar, told RFE/RL that the vote is a test of whether the EU is attractive enough for wealthier northern countries currently outside the union. European diplomats speaking to RFE/RL said the poll matters as much in Brussels as in Reykjavik, largely because of the instant feel-good factor it would give the EU after a turbulent decade marked by Brexit, sluggish economic growth, migration disputes, and security concerns fueled by Russian hybrid attacks. The referendum would provide a symbolic boost to a bloc whose recent enlargement debate has largely centered on less wealthy candidate countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
Absorption Capacity
If Iceland were to join, it would be the third richest member state on a per capita basis and a net contributor to the European Union's budget, something that none of the current EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans or Eastern Europe is expected to be. Iceland would also be easily absorbable, as it would not only be the smallest member state population-wise, but is already part of the passport-free Schengen zone and large parts of the EU's internal market and rulebook by virtue of being a member of the European Economic Area, together with non-EU Liechtenstein and Norway.
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Iceland's EU referendum tests bloc's appeal beyond eastern enlargement
