Overview
- The referendum held on Saturday, August 29, 2026, asked voters only whether to resume EU accession negotiations and counting continued into the night with a very close outcome expected.
- Opinion polls published before the vote showed a razor‑tight race with rival surveys giving small leads to both the yes and no camps, leaving the result uncertain.
- Icelandic leaders say a yes would prompt a negotiating commission that includes unions, employers and fisheries and farming representatives and could begin talks as soon as late 2026.
- Fisheries sovereignty is the central domestic sticking point because seafood makes up a large share of exports and many voters fear losing control over quotas and coastal management.
- Security fears after public comments by President Donald Trump about Greenland and high domestic inflation plus steep interest rates have driven some voters to see EU talks as a path to greater protection and monetary stability.