Iceland Votes Saturday on Restarting EU Membership Talks
Icelanders will vote Saturday on restarting talks with the European Union. The vote is not about joining the EU itself.
A yes vote would start a long process. Iceland would still need final approval to join later.
About 265,000 Icelanders can vote in the referendum. Supporters say EU membership could bring stability.
They also say it could protect Iceland from Trump's threats. US President Trump made threats involving Greenland.
Opponents say restarting talks is unnecessary and could endanger Iceland's fishing stocks. Iceland already belongs to the European Economic Area.
It also shares Europe's common market. But Iceland has no vote in EU institutions.
Iceland is also a member of NATO. Iceland's earlier EU talks began after the 2008 banking crisis.
Those talks paused in 2013 and ended in 2015 over fishing concerns. Iceland's coalition government sped up this referendum after Trump's Greenland threats.
Key Terms 3
- European Economic Area A group letting countries share Europe's common market without full EU membership.
- NATO A military alliance of North American and European countries.
- Trump's Greenland threats Trump has suggested the US might take control of Greenland.