Annie Mist opposes continuing Iceland’s EU accession talks

Annie Mist Þórisdóttir, an entrepreneur and former CrossFit athlete, says she will vote against continuing Iceland’s accession negotiations with the European Union in Saturday’s election, mbl.is reports.

She outlined her position in a Facebook post, saying her travels and competitions had introduced her to various societies and strengthened her wish to live in Iceland.

“Iceland is one of the prosperous countries in the world,” she wrote. Icelanders had built their society “brick by brick” over time, she said, adding that although it was not perfect, much had worked well and given people reason to want to live there.

Annie said it was important to continue building on what had already been achieved, mentioning sovereignty, energy issues, the exclusive economic zone, agriculture and fishing grounds.

She said she was concerned that possible changes to those areas could bring greater risks than benefits, “not only for us but for Iceland’s future, our children and grandchildren.”

Says EU membership would not solve Iceland’s problems

Annie said supporters of a yes vote often referred to lower interest rates and prices, but argued that EU membership would not necessarily solve Iceland’s problems.

“Iceland already has high employment, wages that are among the highest in the world and a higher proportion of individuals who own their own homes than elsewhere in the EU,” she wrote.

She also asked where Iceland would be today if it had been an EU member when the banking collapse occurred and the Icesave dispute arose.

“It is impossible to know exactly how that situation would have developed, but I think it is important that we consider these questions before making a decision,” she wrote. She questioned what impact membership would have had on Iceland’s economic room for manoeuvre, decision-making and ability to respond, adding that “for now, we control this ourselves.”

Finally, she said it was important to recognise that starting negotiations would cost a substantial amount of money.

“If you are fairly certain that you do not want EU membership, is it right to spend hundreds of millions just to ‘take a look inside the package’?” she wrote.