Poll finds Icelandic voters swing to narrowly opposing EU membership

A narrow majority of Icelandic voters oppose reopening negotiations to join the EU, a new Gallup opinion poll showed on Friday, a shift from earlier polls, ahead of a referendum on Saturday on whether to resume accession talks.

The August 29 ballot is not a vote on membership itself and any deal would require Iceland to hold a second referendum on whether to join the 27-member bloc based on the terms agreed during the negotiations.

The August 24-27 survey of 4,583 people showed 51.6% of respondents oppose holding talks with Brussels on EU membership, while 48.4% support it.

Icelandic daily Visir earlier this week reported 51.3% of respondents were in favour of holding negotiations with Brussels on joining, while 48.7% were opposed, citing a survey by polling agency Maskina.

Reykjavik walked away from EU accession talks in 2013, four years after applying, when a Eurosceptic government took power. Since then, rising living costs and the war in Ukraine have revived public appetite for reopening the question.

The Icelandic government frames its membership plan as a “now or never” moment. Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir told voters in August that a “no” would put all EU speculation aside.

EU membership would give Iceland a direct say in decision making via institutions such as the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, as well as entering the country into the customs union and giving it the option to adopt the euro.

(Reporting by Louise Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik, Alexandra Hudson)