Iceland's No camp heads for narrow victory in EU referendum
Iceland's referendum on resuming EU membership talks looks set to reject the move, with No on 52.5%.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Icelanders have voted in a referendum on whether to resume European Union membership negotiations, 13 years after talks were broken off. With most votes counted, the No camp is heading for a narrow victory, with 52.5% of voters against restarting talks with the EU. The result is not yet final, but the trend appears clear.
The vote was not on membership itself, which would require a further referendum. Those opposed to EU membership fear the loss of political control to Brussels, particularly over the country's critical fishing industry, which would be opened up to other EU nations. Those in favour say membership would ease high interest rates and offer greater security in an unsettled world.
After casting her vote, Iceland's Prime Minister said whatever the result, the country would come out stronger. "This is a great day. We have been waiting for this and many people for years to be able to have a vote on whether we continue these accession negotiations," she said. "So whatever comes out of this, I'm going to be happy with the result."
Political analysts said the outcome was in line with opinion polls, which had shown a slight lead for the No side. Professor Erika Bergman of Bifröst University said the No campaign had been more skilful in tapping into Iceland's political national identity, emphasising formal independence from Denmark. The Yes side, she said, ran an overly technical campaign that failed to explain the purpose or passion behind joining the EU. Geopolitical upheaval, she added, never really filtered into the debate, which remained firmly domestic.
Results are expected early local time on Sunday.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| A Friday poll indicated a narrow majority opposed to reopening talks. | |
| Opponents of the talks fear losing political control over the fishing industry. | |
| Results are expected early local time on Sunday. | |
| The vote is on resuming talks rather than on membership itself. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News provided straightforward, rolling coverage of the referendum, from the opening of polls to the early results. It balanced the prime minister's optimistic remarks with expert analysis explaining why the No side was ahead, focusing on national identity and the technical nature of the Yes campaign.
- “This is a great day. We have been waiting for this and many people for years to be able to have a vote on whether we continue these accession negotiations.”
- “The no side was much more skillful in sort of tapping into the political national identity in Iceland.”
- “This is in line with what was expected.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.