Iceland voters will decide on Saturday whether to restart negotiations to join the European Union. The country, with about 400,000 residents, is a NATO member and already participates in the EU single market through the European Economic Area and the Schengen area. The referendum asks a yes‑or‑no question on resuming accession talks, which were suspended in 2013 and formally ended in 2015. Proponents say EU membership would provide economic stability, a more secure euro currency and lower interest rates, while opponents argue that Iceland’s sovereignty and control over its fisheries would be compromised. “We can’t really trust the U.S. anymore,” said Hildur Knútsdóttir, a writer planning to vote for EU membership. “The independence of Iceland is the most precious resource that we have,” said Haraldur Olafsson, chairman of the Eurosceptic group Heimssýn. Foreign and Defense Minister Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, a supporter of EU membership, said smaller EU members such as Ireland, Finland and Luxembourg have reported feeling stronger after joining. “If a deal is reached, Iceland will retain full control of its fisheries,” she said. Fisheries Iceland chief executive Heiðrun Lind Marteinsdóttir said the industry would consider EU membership only if a permanent exemption from the Common Fisheries Policy were secured, a condition she described as unprecedented. Einar Sigurdsson, chairman of Isfelag, warned that European vessels could fish in Icelandic waters. Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir’s centre‑left coalition, elected in 2024, made the EU vote a central platform. The vote was accelerated after former U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly referenced Greenland, prompting the government to bring the referendum forward. The U.S. State Department said Trump’s remarks were about Greenland, not Iceland, and the new U.S. ambassador in Reykjavik apologized for a joking comment that Iceland could become the 52nd U.S. state. The outcome will determine whether Iceland enters a multi‑year negotiation process that must be approved by all EU member states and subsequently ratified by Icelandic voters.