Iceland is holding a vote this Saturday on resuming negotiations for its accession to the European Union, paused since 2013. This consultation has generated division in the Nordic country, and there is uncertainty about its outcome.

[What to Know About Iceland’s Vote on Reopening EU Accession Talks: Icelanders Vote to Decide If Resume Negotiations to Join the EU](https://www.telesurenglish.net/icelanders-vote-to-decide-if-resume-negotiations-to-join-the-eu/)

Should the “yes” vote win, negotiations would resume, and Icelanders would have to vote again in another referendum on any hypothetical agreement reached by Reykjavik and Brussels.

The approximately 273,000 Icelanders called to the polls can vote from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM GMT in a consultation where a quarter of the electorate has already voted in advance.

Iceland has a small, scattered population in a relatively large territory (fewer than 400,000 people in 100,000 square kilometers), and all ballot boxes must be transported to counting centers in the constituency, which in some cases involves a transfer of up to 400 kilometers.

Hence, the National Electoral Commission has warned that it is difficult to predict when conclusive data will be available, although a provisional result with all votes counted is not expected until Sunday noon.

Polls suggested a tie or gave a slight lead to the “yes” vote, although a survey released the day before by the Gallup consultancy places “no” supporters more than two points ahead.

The control of fishing resources, key to the Icelandic economy, has been a central topic of the prior debate, along with the national sovereignty of a country that did not gain full independence from Denmark until 1944.

Both the Government and the European Commission (EC) believe that special agreements for Iceland are possible, although “no” supporters emphasize that no other country has permanent exceptions for fishing.

The high cost of living in Iceland, with interest rates at 8% and inflation at 5.6%, has also played a prominent role in the debate and is one of the main arguments of “yes” proponents, along with the geopolitical situation and threats from the United States to the neighboring autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.

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