Guðmundur Steingrímsson the leader of ALDE Party Member in Iceland Björt framtíð (Bright Future), said: “For us, Iceland has not withdrawn its application to become a EU Member State. A recent letter from the government of Iceland doesn’t change anything in that regard. It is clear that the current government does not want Iceland to join the EU, therefore the negotiations have been paused. We, within Björt framtíð, have said that we can live with, and understand, that temporary situation. But to withdraw the application altogether, and ruin the process, is a totally different issue. The government has no right to do that.“
In a joint letter to the President of the European Parliament, the Representative of the Latvian Presidency and the European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations, all Icelandic opposition parties state:
“The Government of 2009-2013 lodged an application to join the EU on the basis of a mandate given by the Althingi in a resolution of 16 July 2009, with the support of MPs from all political parties. The accession process was slowed down two months before the elections in April 2013. The current Government then “paused” the accession process when it took office in May 2013 and stated that the process would not continue unless the people would decide so in a referendum. No such referendum has been held. The Government presented a proposal for a resolution mandating the withdrawal of the application to the Althingi in February 2014. In spite of its strong parliamentary majority, the Government could not get the proposal passed in the face of widespread public opposition and calls by more than 20% of the population for a referendum to be held. The proposal was debated in first reading, but not passed to second reading by the Foreign Affairs Committee.”
Background
Iceland was hit severely by the 2008 global financial crisis and decided joining the European Union as a viable solution to its problems.
In the summer of 2009, Iceland’s parliament backed the government’s plan to begin accession talks with the European Union. Only one year later, the country started EU accession talks.
With the approach of the elections, in January 2013 the government decided to put on hold negotiation over the “difficult” chapters relating to fisheries, agriculture, right of establishment and services, and on free movement of capital.
The vote was favourable to the Independence Party, which has participated in every government between 1980 and 2009, and to the Progressive Party, its main rival and partner in previous coalitions. Both parties are against Iceland joining the EU or the euro.
Before taking the post of Prime Minister, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, leader of the Progressives, said that that his cabinet intended to halt his country’s accession negotiations, pending a referendum on his country’s relation with the EU.
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Publish date : 2015-03-12 16:59:00
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