Icelandic prime minister to address nation ahead of EU vote

Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir will deliver what she describes as her final message to the nation at a public event in Reykjavík on Wednesday, mbl.is reported.

The event, billed as a celebration of democracy, will be held at Austurbær in Reykjavík. The building will open at 5pm and the event will begin at 5.30pm. It will be open to the public and broadcast live.

Bergur Ebbi Benediktsson will lead a discussion with the audience, while singer Bríet will also perform.

Frostadóttir organised nine listening meetings around Iceland ahead of the referendum on European Union accession negotiations, which will be held on August 29. At the meetings, she sought public views on the opportunities and challenges facing Iceland and on how the government should respond to the referendum result.

According to a statement, Frostadóttir will say that Iceland would not be where it is today if previous generations had focused only on their concerns and allowed opportunities to pass.

She is also expected to say that Icelanders know how to navigate changing conditions, seek solutions and negotiate agreements to protect the country’s interests.

“Let us think big, show courage and aim high. Let us seek a good agreement for Iceland and then see what happens. We can do it, and we have done this before with excellent results for the country and its people. Let us not close our eyes to the opportunities. Let us examine the agreement,” she will say, according to the statement.