Iceland votes on EU talks as Trump's Greenland remarks fuel security fears

Icelanders vote on Saturday in a referendum on whether to restart negotiations to join the European Union, a decision shaped by geopolitical anxiety and a fierce defense of national sovereignty.

The vote comes after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to Greenland as Iceland while pressing his interest in acquiring the Danish territory. The mix-up, which occurred at the World Economic Forum in Davos, unsettled many in Iceland, where the prospect of a forceful U.S. move next door feels uncomfortably close.

"We can't really trust the U.S. anymore," said Hildur Knútsdóttir, a horror fiction writer who plans to vote yes. "Trump was not joking about Greenland. There was a lot of fear here in Iceland because if he takes Greenland with force, we're probably going to be next."

The referendum asks a simple yes-or-no question: should Iceland resume accession talks with the 27-nation bloc? A no vote would shelve the issue. A yes vote would open a lengthy negotiation process covering 35 policy areas, from fisheries to financial systems, with any final agreement requiring approval from all EU members and a separate vote by Icelanders.

Iceland already participates in the EU's single market through the European Economic Area and is part of the Schengen free-travel zone. It is also a NATO member. The debate, therefore, is not about isolation versus integration, but about how much sovereignty to cede in exchange for security and economic stability.

Opponents argue that Iceland, which won independence from Denmark in 1944, already enjoys the benefits of European integration without the costs. "The independence of Iceland is the most precious resource that we have," said Haraldur Olafsson, a physics professor and chairman of the Euroskeptic group Heimssýn. "The possibility of making your own law and deciding how things are done is essential."

Supporters counter that standing outside the EU leaves Iceland exposed in a volatile world. Foreign and Defense Minister Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said smaller EU member states like Ireland and Finland report that membership has strengthened, not weakened, their sovereignty.

A key sticking point remains fisheries. Iceland fought the so-called Cod Wars with Britain in the 1970s to secure control of its rich North Atlantic fishing grounds. Many fear EU membership would open those waters to foreign trawlers under the Common Fisheries Policy.

Gunnarsdóttir insists any deal must protect Iceland's fishing rights. "We are a superpower when it comes to fisheries," she said. "We will not sign any agreement which will not underline our sovereignty and full control of our fisheries."

Industry leaders are more cautious. Heiðrun Lind Marteinsdóttir, CEO of Fisheries Iceland, said the sector could accept membership with a permanent opt-out from the fisheries policy, but acknowledged that would be unprecedented. Einar Sigurdsson, chairman of Isfelag fishing company, predicted European vessels would eventually appear in Icelandic waters.

The government, elected in 2024 on a platform promising a referendum, moved the vote up from next year after Trump's repeated overtures on Greenland. The U.S. State Department has said Trump meant Greenland, not Iceland, during his Davos remarks. A joke by the new U.S. ambassador in Reykjavik about Iceland becoming the 52nd state did little to ease tensions and drew a petition against his appointment.

For Gunnarsdóttir, the episode underscores the value of standing with a bloc of like-minded nations. "That is so important for us to see a group of like-minded nations stand together on principles and values," she said. "That is also what I'm looking at when I see the European Union in this volatile world."