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  • Hacker News
  • It's honestly a smart decision. They already have access to the common market just like Norway. Becoming a full member just means being subject to a EU governing body that has proven itself to be largely ineffective and incompetent, sometimes reaching the realm of "outright harmful" with things like Chat Control. Why would you want to be a part of that, especially if you would also be paying for that privilege?
    by this_user
  • It is logical if indeed sovereignty was a main issue in the debate even if this vote was officially only about whether to resume "accession talks."

    They have the benefit of seeing the situation in the EU and the direction of travel so it is quite clear that any debates on joining the EU is a debate between continuing as an independent country or being absorbed in a federal EU. A very, very big decision to make.

    by mytailorisrich
  • > Iceland rejects reopening talks on EU entry

    Good for them.

    Joining the EU, given the very sorry state that institution is currently in would basically be a pair of concrete shoes at the bottom of the river for Iceland.

    by ur-whale
  • Strong city-country divide. City yes. Country No.

    At best the Yes vote was weakly pro by numbers in the city. Nothing like overwhelming.

    Probably, very strong influence of the fishing industry, both from sentiment and as a lobby: the EU would have permitted non IS boats into their economic zone, and there would be concerns in the fisher industry community at large about that economically.

    I think the city thing reflects Youth attitudes to pan-europeanism.

    Also, "No" just had to say "but our fishing zone" so like "take back control" in Brexit, very simple message. "Yes" had to soft sell positives which were at best nebulous. Unlike brexit I think this has less downsides. The future may change that but for now, I think it won't alter much given that Iceland is already in NATO, already in Schengen, already has security guarantees, has full energy independence. As a complete outsider who has visited recently, I would have loved it to be in the EU but thats an externally driven sentiment view.

    by ggm
  • No new members until veto is dealt with, thanks.
    by akmarinov
  • How do such referenda work in Iceland? Is this a simple Brexit-style yes/no question? Were people provided with context and arguments as to why (presumably?) the goverment was considering joining the EU?
    by elric
  • If they were truly meant to be in the EU they would just keep running new referendum until their people choose the "right" answer.
    by b1n
  • Even though I voted yes I completely understand the reluctance to join. EU has shown gross incompetence in many questions and with chat control they are downright terrifying.

    My own yes was because I would have liked to see the strategy and what EU could have on the table. Even if timeconsuming and costly.

    And it would have been worth it just to scare the living daylights out of the few mafia families in Iceland that currently hold the fishing quota and treat it as their private playthings.

    But I respect the choice of my countrymen and (hope) perhaps in another decade when we are hypothetically rid of Ursula Leyden and possibly Swedens and Denmarks terrifying need to peak into everones private lives, Iceland can look at negotiations again.

    by xkbarkar

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