Iceland vote could push Norway towards EU, Reuters correspondent says

Foreign media gathered at polling stations as Icelanders voted on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, mbl.is reports. Reuters correspondent Johan Ahlander questioned Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir outside a polling station near Álftamýrarskóli.

Ahlander said Frostadóttir appeared pleased with the voting process and the public debate. She also seemed surprised by how evenly divided voters appeared to be.

The result could have wider international significance, he said. Reuters has taken considerable interest in the vote, particularly because a yes result could encourage Norway to reconsider its position on EU membership.

“If Iceland joins the European Union, it could push Norway to examine the option of joining as well,” Ahlander said. He added that a yes vote could open the way for talks between Norway and the EU.

Ahlander said there was strong interest in the expansion of the EU. Croatia was the last country to join, in 2013, becoming the bloc’s 28th member.

He also described the Icelandic vote as particularly relevant at a time when the United States appeared to be distancing itself from Europe to some extent.

“I have to say that, as an outsider, I am surprised to hear that people do not even want to know what the agreement looks like,” Ahlander said.

He said Norway would be the EU’s “crown jewel” if it joined, while acknowledging that Iceland’s decision could increase interest in the election across mainland Europe.

Among those Ahlander interviewed were Icelanders who had taken part in the Cod Wars. One told him that joining the EU would be terrible and would make everything he had fought for meaningless.

“From a European perspective, the international political angle is of course very interesting,” Ahlander said. “But when you speak to people here, you find that independence and the fishing industry often matter more to locals than security and international politics.”

He said the election was clearly important to Brussels and that a no vote would be a blow to the European Union.