Martikonis says Iceland vote is no major blow to EU

Iceland’s decision to reject a return to European Union membership talks is not a major shock to the bloc, Rytis Martikonis, head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, told LRT.

Nearly 53 percent of Icelanders voted against returning to negotiations on EU membership in a referendum held more than a decade after the issue was last considered. Martikonis said Iceland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom could not be directly compared.

“Iceland is one of the wealthiest European countries and would be one of the wealthiest EU countries,” Martikonis said. He described it as a small, deeply democratic Nordic country whose voters had carefully considered arguments on both sides.

He said Iceland already enjoyed many benefits associated with EU membership. The country has access to the EU single market, allowing goods, people and services to move freely, cooperates in security matters and is part of the Schengen area. Its main omission, he said, was the euro.

According to Martikonis, sovereignty and control over fisheries and other natural resources were important reasons for the vote. Icelanders believe they can manage those resources better without sharing them with Europe or its institutions. The country’s experience in overcoming the severe downturn caused by the 2008 financial crisis also strengthened public confidence in its ability to handle problems independently.

Martikonis said the referendum was also influenced by geopolitical developments, including issues involving Greenland and the United States, as well as the search for greater geopolitical stability. Icelandic society appeared divided, he said, with greater scepticism toward the EU in areas with more industry and fishing, while residents of the capital were more open to discussing the possibility of closer ties.

“Iceland nevertheless remains the same partner to the EU and Lithuania that we have known until now,” he said. Asked whether the result represented no major shock for the EU, Martikonis replied that it would be difficult to put it that way.

Turning to Ukraine, Martikonis said its situation was the opposite of Iceland’s. Ukraine is a large country fighting a brutal war, and its future is being decided on the battlefield, he said.

Ukraine marked the 35th anniversary of its independence this week and has been defending that independence in war for five years. It has also made clear that it wants to join the EU and has begun accession negotiations, opening its first negotiating chapter in June and a second chapter on external relations.

Martikonis said it was important for Ukrainian society to see a clear European perspective despite the war. The European Commission’s position was that negotiations with Ukraine could proceed across all areas, including human rights, the rule of law and other issues. He added that some EU member states saw problems in this process, while the European Commission was carrying out the technical and expert assessment.