Jónas Hagan accepts vote against restarting EU talks

Jónas Hagan has accepted the result of the democratic vote that means Iceland will not restart membership negotiations with the European Union, mbl.is reported on Sunday.

“I am simply humble before the result of democratic elections,” Hagan told mbl.is when asked about the outcome.

Hagan, chairman and one of the founders of the Sjá movement, said he was not disappointed, although he would personally have preferred to keep the option open.

“As I always try to emphasise, I see us not as opponents but as all being on the same team,” he said. The issue, he added, was which approach Iceland should take.

“The nation has now been asked, and we continue the game. There is no other choice,” Hagan said.

He said he remained optimistic about Iceland’s future and had strong faith in the country and its people.

Hagan added that many of his friends had voted differently from him but had made their decisions out of the same concern for Iceland’s best interests. They might disagree on the route, he said, but not on the goal of strengthening Iceland, its economy and the living standards of the Icelandic public.