Iceland PM says EU referendum remains too close to call

It is too early to predict the outcome of Iceland’s referendum on whether to begin membership negotiations with the European Union, Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir said, according to mbl.is. The latest figures show the vote almost evenly split, with 50.5% supporting negotiations and 49.5% opposed among counted ballots.

Frostadóttir said the apparent divide between rural regions and the capital area meant that particular attention would have to be paid to concerns raised outside the capital if the proposal passed. She specifically mentioned agriculture, fisheries and natural resources.

She made the comments in a live interview on RÚV after the first results from all constituencies had been announced.

‘Incredibly pleased’ with turnout

Frostadóttir said she was “incredibly pleased” with voter turnout and with the public’s interest in the issue. Many people had familiarised themselves with the European Economic Area Agreement during the campaign, she said, adding that it was encouraging to see how many people considered the agreement important for Iceland.

“We need to take care to defend that agreement,” she said.

She said the debate had been raised to a higher level in the run-up to the vote, including through greater discussion of international affairs and what people were satisfied or dissatisfied with about Iceland.

Years of negotiations if proposal passes

Asked what would happen if the proposal passed, Frostadóttir said the country would embark on a process lasting several years and involving several governments. She said this was one reason she had not intervened more forcefully in the debate earlier, along with her view that others should take part in the discussion.

Frostadóttir was also asked about the strong interest shown by foreign journalists in the referendum. She attributed part of it to major shifts in international affairs recently, mentioning what she described as excessive attention to the Greenland issue, as well as trade sanctions and US measures against Canada. She also referred to recent political tensions between the United States and the European Union.

“Increased toughness in diplomacy has led to relationships being reassessed, alliances changing and movements shifting. As so often in history, we are somewhat in between,” she said.

Iceland was being watched as an indicator of how countries are responding to these changes, Frostadóttir said. “We have often been a thermometer for what is going on,” she added.

She said she knew the referendum was being closely followed in Norway, where voters had gone through the process twice.

Threats not on the same scale

Frostadóttir was also asked whether she had received threats similar to those directed at Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, leader of the Reform Party, in connection with the debate over the European Union. Frostadóttir indicated that she had received some threats, but said they were not nearly on the same level.