Justice minister accepts Iceland’s rejection of renewed EU talks

Justice Minister Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir told mbl.is that the debate surrounding Iceland’s referendum on resuming negotiations with the European Union was far more emotional than she was used to seeing during parliamentary elections.

She said the next step was to recognise that the result had been decided and that the yes and no sides had been roughly equal in size, although the no side was slightly larger.

“We need to approach the next steps accordingly. By that I simply mean that we respect that people have different views on this issue, even though it is of course completely clear that the answer was no,” Gunnlaugsdóttir said.

The minister acknowledged that she was disappointed by the result. The referendum had not been about joining the EU, she said, but about reopening negotiations and seeing what they would produce.

“I felt that there were interests in examining, for example, the currency, given the situation with the Icelandic housing loan system and the fact that we always have the most expensive food basket here. I did not think it was obvious that this should not be examined,” she said.

However, the result was clear, she said, and Iceland would continue with the Icelandic króna and the other consequences that came with it.

Gunnlaugsdóttir said she believed fear had been cultivated during the campaign by opponents of reopening the talks. In her view, the mood surrounding the Áfram Ísland movement, which campaigned against restarting negotiations, was shaped by fear of change and uncertainty about something new or different.

“We know that this is a strong theme for people when they make decisions. I believe fear prevented people from seeing the opportunity. But that is simply my political position,” she said.

She added that she believed Iceland would fare better through cooperation with the Nordic countries and strong cooperation with Europe.

“I am not convinced that it is best for a small island nation to want to sever its ties, but the result was that this should not be examined, and that is simply the way it is,” Gunnlaugsdóttir said.