The government of Iceland plans to ask parliament to authorize a referendum this autumn on whether the country should reopen negotiations to join the European Union, more than a decade after accession talks were abandoned.
According to reports by Iceland’s public broadcaster RUV, the government is expected to submit a bill to parliament next week that would pave the way for a national vote, which sources say could take place in late September.
Iceland halted its EU membership negotiations in 2013 after four years of talks, amid domestic political opposition and concerns over sovereignty and fisheries policy.
However, shifting economic and geopolitical conditions have revived the debate. Rising living costs and the broader security environment in Europe following the Russian invasion of Ukraine have renewed public interest in closer ties with the EU, according to recent polls.
The issue has also gained urgency after remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about potentially annexing Greenland, prompting renewed discussion in Iceland about its long-term strategic alignment.
Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir said in February that a referendum on reopening EU accession talks would likely take place in the coming months.
