Iceland to hold EU accession referendum on 29 August

Iceland's parliament has voted to hold a national referendum on 29 August on whether to begin EU membership negotiations. The vote supports the government's two-stage plan that could make Iceland an EU member within this decade.

Iceland's parliament voted on Thursday to schedule a public referendum for 29 August, asking citizens whether the country should open formal accession negotiations with the European Union. The decision marks a significant step in Iceland's long and complicated relationship with the bloc.

The vote backs the government's two-stage approach to EU membership: first, a public mandate to begin talks, and then a second referendum once negotiations are concluded. If all goes according to plan, Iceland could become a full EU member before the end of the current decade.

Iceland has been a candidate for EU membership since 2009, when it applied in the wake of the financial crisis, but the country suspended its accession talks in 2013 after a change of government. The topic has remained politically divisive, with debates centred largely on fishing rights and sovereignty concerns.

For the Baltic and Nordic region, Iceland's potential return to the EU accession track carries strategic weight. An expanded EU presence in the North Atlantic would strengthen the bloc's geopolitical footprint at a time when Arctic security and transatlantic relations are under renewed scrutiny.