Iceland cool on EU membership
-
Is Iceland on its way to the EU? (Photo: thesetides.com)
By Lisbeth Kirk
A majority 42.3 percent of Icelanders are opposed to applying for membership of the European Union , according to a fresh poll published by Icelandic newspaper Frettabladid last Friday (18 February).
But 34.3 percent are in favour of sending an application to Brussels, the study shows.
Join EUobserver today
Become an expert on Europe
Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.
Choose your plan
... or subscribe as a group
Don't miss out on
Our exclusive news stories and investigations. Influential. Investigative. Independent.
Why join?
Watch our founder Lisbeth Kirk explain the reasons in this 30-second video.
Already a member?
The poll indicates that there is no broad backing for the Icelandic prime minister, Halldor Asgrimsson, who predicted recently that Iceland would become a member of the EU by 2015.
Icelandic foreign minister Geir Haarde also rejected the idea and said Iceland would not join the union in the foreseeable future, exposing a top-level split in Reykjavik.
Mr Asgrimsson's Progress Party is the country's third-largest party, while Mr Haarde's Independence Party is the biggest.
Last August a poll by Gallup found that 43 percent of Icelanders were in favour of joining the EU, while 37 percent were opposed.
