‘The Sauna Is Hot and Uncomfortable’: Vote on E.U. Talks Makes Iceland Sweat

August 28, 2026 · 3:08 pm 12 sources

Image: The New York Times

Coverage

Wires & papers of record

• ‘The Sauna Is Hot and Uncomfortable’: Vote on E.U. Talks Makes Iceland Sweat
  The New York Times · August 28, 2026 15:08
  The usually genial country has been bitterly divided over a vote this weekend on whether to enter membership talks with the European Union.
• Icelanders Are Voting on E.U. Membership Talks. Here’s What to Know.
  The New York Times · August 29, 2026 04:01
  The Nordic nation is holding a referendum on Saturday on whether to start membership talks with the European Union. Voters are divided.
• Why Iceland and Others Might Want In, Not Out, of the E.U. Club
  The New York Times · August 29, 2026 15:32
  A few years ago, some feared the European Union was going out of style. Now Iceland is mulling membership alongside a long list of candidates.
• Icelanders vote on whether they want to join the EU
  NPR · August 30, 2026 01:47
  The final vote is expected to be extremely close, with ballot counting continuing through the night.
• Iceland EU referendum on a knife edge as counting continues
  BBC News · August 30, 2026 03:57
  A vote on whether to resume membership talks with the European Union is too close to call.
• Iceland appears to have rejected EU accession talks in referendum, reports say
  The Guardian · August 30, 2026 07:55
  No camp looks to have prevailed, holding 52.5% of votes with only a few left to be counted, says public broadcaster Iceland appears to have ⁠rejected ⁠the government’s proposal ​to hold ⁠accession talks with ⁠the ​European Union, ‌the public ‌broadcaster RUV has ‌reported, with only a small…

Coverage

• Iceland holds knife-edge referendum on EU membership talks
  Deutsche Welle · August 29, 2026 06:35
  The Nordic nation shelved earlier plans to join the EU over fishing rights, but geopolitics, including Trump's threat to seize Greenland, has prompted a rethink.
• Iceland votes in a tight race on whether to resume talks to join the EU
  Al Jazeera · August 29, 2026 20:36
  Iceland’s Prime Minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir, cast her vote on Saturday as the country held a referendum.
• Vote count under way in Iceland’s knife-edge EU referendum
  Al Jazeera · August 29, 2026 23:33
  Iceland's leadership has promised to honour the country's decision in the vote, which is currently too close to call.
• Iceland EU referendum sees slim, early lead for 'yes' camp
  Deutsche Welle · August 30, 2026 02:48
  The 'yes' camp won 51.2% of the vote in early counting, but election officials stressed that a more reliable result might not be ready until later on Sunday.
• Iceland's EU referendum edges closer to 'no'
  Deutsche Welle · August 30, 2026 07:42
  Results from five of six constituencies showed that 52.5% of Icelanders don't want to reopen accession talks with the European Union.
• Iceland rejects EU membership plan in referendum
  Al Jazeera · August 30, 2026 07:57
  This is a breaking news story.