People in Iceland say NO to the EU – level 2
04-09-2026 15:00
People in Iceland voted No in a referendum about the EU. They decided not to restart talks about joining the EU.
About 52.5% of people voted No, and 47.5% voted Yes. The Prime Minister wanted to hold the vote earlier because of global problems, but the political debate stayed focused on local issues. Many Icelanders wanted to protect their national independence and their fishing waters.
Political experts said that the NO group made a strong campaign about identity and feelings. The YES group only talked about technical details, so they couldn’t convince enough people. As a result, Iceland will remain outside the European Union.
Difficult words: debate (a formal discussion), independence (when a country is free and is not controlled by another country), identity (the qualities, beliefs, and culture that make a person or a country who or what they are).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.
What did political experts say made the NO group's campaign stronger than the YES group's campaign?
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