Iceland votes on whether to restart talks on joining EU

Icelanders are voting successful a referendum to determine whether to resume talks connected joining the European Union, 13 years aft they were surgery off.

In an denotation of really tight the consequence is expected to be, the latest sentiment canvass put the No run successful the lead pinch 51.6%. An earlier canvass had put the Yes run ahead.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir's centre-left authorities had already intended to clasp a referendum, but turbulent world affairs prompted her to bring it forward.

But the statement was fought little complete Nato personnel Iceland's information concerns than complete its captious sportfishing manufacture and sovereignty.

Voting is owed to spell connected from 09:00 to 22:00 GMT connected Saturday and the consequence is expected successful the early hours of Sunday.

Iceland has a organization of nether 400,000. More than 1 successful 5 voters had already formed their ballots successful early voting earlier Saturday, according to Iceland's nationalist broadcaster RUV.

Although Iceland is already portion of the EU's azygous marketplace and Schengen border-free area arsenic portion of the European Economic Area, EU rank would bring it into the customs national and yet the euro.

Iceland's exertion to subordinate the EU was already good precocious erstwhile it put talks connected clasp successful 2013, and European Commission officials person indicated that talks could beryllium finalised successful 1 aliases 2 years. Of the 35 alleged chapters of talks ranging from fisheries and economical argumentation to state of reside and free activity of goods, 27 had begun and 11 of them were provisionally complete.

A Yes ballot would not beryllium a last determination connected joining the EU. It would mean backing a move towards an accession agreement. Any woody would past person to beryllium approved by a 2nd referendum, arsenic good by parliament, and the constitution would person to beryllium amended. The EU's 27 personnel states would besides person to motion it off.

One Yes-campaign group, "Yes to See", says Icelanders should astatine slightest spot what woody they tin get, truthful they person each the accusation earlier a last decision.

Equally, a No ballot would not norm retired the chance of Iceland resuming talks successful the future.

Sovereignty has been a important rumor successful the pre-referendum debate. Iceland fought difficult to go afloat independent from Denmark successful 1944, and its sportfishing and marine industries dress up almost 40% of exports.

The No run fears losing power complete Iceland's prized sportfishing grounds nether the EU's Common Fisheries Policy and has vowed ne'er to stock the country's waters pinch anyone. Brussels has indicated Iceland could gain immoderate benignant of exemption, but it is considered perchance the biggest obstacle to immoderate agreement.

Many Icelanders retrieve the alleged Cod Wars pinch the UK that Iceland won successful the 1970s. And fisheries was ever the rumor that stopped Iceland joining the EU before.

However, successful the aftermath of the 2008 financial situation and the illness of Iceland's banking system, Reykjavik moved to commencement accession talks successful 2009, only to bring them to a halt successful 2013.

Iceland is now 1 of Europe's astir able nations and Eirikur Bergmann, professor of authorities astatine Bifröst University, told the BBC that "many group property this to Iceland's independence".

One Icelandic waste and acquisition national study suggested this twelvemonth that the state was the astir costly successful the world, acold pricier than its Nordic neighbours.

Although it has the 5th highest GDP (economic output) per capita successful the world, liking rates are stubbornly precocious astatine 8% and ostentation has climbed to 5.6%.

Yes campaigners reason that the economical benefits of the EU would thief bring the rates down.

What are Iceland's information concerns?

Iceland whitethorn beryllium a laminitis personnel of Nato but it has nary subject and relies connected its friends for defence.

A bilateral US defence statement has been successful spot since 1951 and the No run has said Iceland's information rests connected some Nato and the US, and that EU rank is not a substitute for Nato.

Iceland has been a beardown protagonist of Ukraine during Russia's full-scale penetration and officials person viewed Russia's accrued maritime manoeuvres adjacent the land pinch alarm.

However, location has besides been interest astatine US President Donald Trump's expressed liking successful taking complete Greenland - particularly the truth that he has confused it pinch Iceland.

This twelvemonth the EU and Iceland signed a information and defence partnership, and EU officials said the EU "offers an anchor successful a organization of values, prosperity and security".

What do the Yes and No campaigns say?

Ahead of the referendum, the 2 sides held a televised statement wherever the Yes run squad was headed by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and the No run was led by Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, chair of the guidance Independence Party.

Kristrún told the assemblage that Iceland was already good integrated successful the European Union, and becoming a personnel would beryllium "one of the biggest risk-reducing steps we tin take".

She besides made clear that a Yes ballot did not needfully mean that Iceland would join, and that if location was a No vote, the consequence would beryllium respected.

Guðrún, meanwhile, stressed that the ballot was not astir whether Iceland should activity good pinch Europe: "We already do, and we want that to continue."

Instead, she portrayed the referendum arsenic a ballot connected whether Icelanders wanted to manus "decision-making powers" to Brussels connected fisheries, agriculture and their earthy resources.

Although geopolitics kick-started the government's determination to push for a return to EU talks, location has been small chat of it during the campaign.

"It's little connected the schedule than galore would think," says Hallgrimur Oddsson, head of EU-Iceland think-tank European Currents.