Iceland PM urges respect after voters reject EU talks

Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir has called for all views to be respected after voters rejected resuming membership negotiations with the European Union, mbl.is reports.

Speaking at a press conference with the leaders of the governing parties at Harpa, Frostadóttir said turnout of about 81 per cent showed that Icelanders were well able to take a position on the question.

She said the government had promised to give the public the opportunity to express its view, after previous governments had failed to honour similar commitments. About 53 per cent voted against taking a larger step towards European cooperation on currency and customs matters, while about 47 per cent supported doing so.

Given the narrow margin, Frostadóttir said it was particularly important to respect all positions in the months ahead. She also said the referendum had prompted unusually extensive discussion about international affairs, Iceland’s position in the world, and domestic issues including the economy, agriculture and fisheries.

Frostadóttir noted that many people who voted against resuming negotiations were satisfied with the European Economic Area agreement. She said Iceland should therefore continue taking steps to strengthen its position within the EEA.

Looking ahead, she said the government planned to present a balanced budget in the coming days. She described it as the first such budget in nearly a decade and said the coalition was entering a busy winter with many parliamentary issues on its agenda.

Frostadóttir said she was proud that the issue had been settled for now.