Voting has closed in Iceland’s referendum on EU membership. The question is whether to resume negotiations with the European Union. Polling stations shut on Saturday, August 29. However, a clear winner may take several hours to emerge. There are no exit polls. Ballot counting only began after stations closed.
Polling suggests the vote is extremely close. Different surveys put either side narrowly ahead. However, none stray more than a few points from an even 50/50 split. The vote comes 13 years after Iceland paused EU talks. At that time, a Eurosceptic government was in power.
The country is currently led by the pro-EU Social Democratic Alliance. They called the vote and promised to honour the result. If Icelanders vote “yes,” the country would likely start years of negotiations with Brussels. The talks would focus on membership terms. A second referendum would then follow on whether to formally join the EU.
Several key themes have shaped the campaign. These include security, the sluggish Icelandic economy, and the future of the krona. The krona is Iceland’s currency. All have played a significant role in the run-up to the vote.
Reference
Al Jazeera, “Voting closes in Iceland’s knife-edge EU referendum,” published August 29, 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/29/voting-closes-in-icelands-knife-edge-eu-referendum