Youngest Icelandic voters lean against restarting EU talks

The youngest voters in Iceland lean narrowly against restarting membership talks with the European Union, according to a new Maskína poll reported by mbl.is. The referendum on whether to resume the talks will be held on Saturday.

Among voters aged 18 to 29, 51.2 percent say they intend to vote against restarting negotiations, while 48.8 percent plan to vote in favour.

The two sides have focused heavily on the future of young people in recent weeks and have sought to reach younger voters, particularly through social media.

Maskína published the poll on Wednesday, showing an extremely close race just days before the vote. Overall, 51.3 percent of respondents said they would vote to restart talks with the EU, while 48.8 percent said they would vote against. The difference is within the poll’s margin of error.

The results suggest that the No side has gradually gained ground in Maskína’s polling this summer. In late July, 47 percent said they planned to vote against restarting the talks. That figure rose to 47.8 percent on August 13 and now stands at 48.8 percent.

The gap between the two sides has therefore narrowed as election day approaches.