Definitely no or maybe yes: what tipped the Icelandic referendum | Miranda Bryant
Iceland recently held a referendum on whether to resume EU accession negotiations, with the 'no' campaign narrowly winning. The result highlights a deep divide between urban and rural voters regarding national identity and economic sovereignty.
Why it matters
Reflects the ongoing tension between national identity and international integration in European politics.
People watch referendum results at a gathering for the yes campaign in Reykjavík. People watch referendum results at a gathering for the yes campaign in Reykjavík. Iceland Analysis Definitely no or maybe yes: what tipped the Icelandic referendum Miranda Bryant in Reykjavík The no campaign was well-funded and accused of scaremongering, but the wording of the question may also have made a difference
It was always going to be a close contest. But on the night, the figures showed just how divided Iceland was on the issue of whether or not to restart negotiations with the European Union .
After a nail-biting overnight count, the well-funded no campaign rejoiced on Sunday morning as the broadcaster RUV declared it the winner with about 52.8% of the vote. Given the size of Iceland’s population- barely 400,000 – the margins were tiny.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in