Icelandic parliament approves referendum on EU accession talks

The Icelandic parliament, the Althingi, voted to hold a referendum on August 29 regarding the resumption of European Union accession negotiations. Out of 63 members, 34 voted in favor, 8 voted against, 14 abstained, and 7 were absent. The government has proposed a two-step process where the first referendum decides whether to begin talks, and a subsequent vote would be required to approve the final membership terms. Iceland previously engaged in four years of accession talks before abandoning the process in 2013 under a Eurosceptic administration. Political science professor Olafur Thordur Hardarson noted that the two-step approach is designed to accommodate voters who remain undecided. Factors such as the rising cost of living and the war in Ukraine have contributed to renewed public interest in EU membership. If voters reject the proposal on August 29, the government will cease all efforts to restart the negotiation process.