Sanna says no to continuing Iceland’s EU talks

Sanna Magdalena Mörtudóttir, a Reykjavík city councillor for the Left-Green Movement, will vote against continuing Iceland’s membership negotiations with the European Union in Saturday’s referendum, mbl.is reports.

She made the comments during a discussion with soprano Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir, writer Bragi Páll Sigurðsson and construction student, bouncer and drummer Samúel Guðmundsson on the programme Rauða borðið on Samstöðin before the weekend.

“I can certainly have my opinion and principles without necessarily having answers to all the world’s problems that might arise afterwards,” Sanna said. “For me, this is very much a matter of principle, but of course people must reach the best conclusion for themselves and vote according to their own convictions.”

She said she did not know exactly what Iceland’s future would look like, either on its own or in cooperation with other small nations, island nations, the Nordic countries or Europe.

Host Gunnar Smári asked whether the European Parliament, with representatives from Enhedslisten, the Socialist Party in the Netherlands and the Left Party in Sweden, was not precisely the club where she should be, trying to change the world from within the European Union.

“Of course there are advantages and disadvantages. It is possible to see pros and cons in all of this,” Sanna replied.

She referred to what she described as the European Union’s basic principle of having competitive nations within the bloc, and questioned how that approach would affect socialist priorities, including the rights of wage earners and workers.

“Will it somehow mean that this hits hardest those who should be hit least, if we have to start increasing our competitiveness?” she asked.

Sanna said the foundation of the European Union was not particularly left-wing. “I will fully admit that I do not know everything about the European Union. I do not know all the facts, but I do know that this foundation does not appeal to me,” she said.

She said Iceland should instead work to bring decision-making power closer to its people.