Former president opposes Iceland joining EU before referendum

Former Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has criticised possible European Union membership ahead of the referendum on August 29, mbl.is reports.

Grímsson is a guest on the latest episode of the mbl.is programme Spursmál, where he discusses the campaign leading up to the vote. He says an exploratory process on EU membership is premature and that Iceland, like Norway and Switzerland, would be better off outside the union and without adopting the euro.

Economists Konráð Guðjónsson and Þorsteinn Þorgeirsson also appear on the programme to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of possible EU membership for Iceland’s economy, the effects of adopting the euro and the position of the labour market in that context.

The programme is available in the player on mbl.is. A recording will later be made available on Spotify and YouTube.