Political parties within Iceland are either disagreeing or in support of the possible European Union membership proposal, a decision made by the Icelandic Parliament on 10 July last week. Parties within themselves are also finding mixed opinions about whether or not to join the EU.
“I want to point out that the Independence Party of Iceland is called the Independence Party of Iceland,” Member of Parliament Petur Blondal said today during a Parliament meeting, “As for our vote for European Union membership, I vote yes to be Iceland, and no to be part of the European Union”.
Herbert Sveinbjornsson, chairman of the Citizen’s Movement Party (Borgarahreyfingin) says that it is clear as daylight that if 3 out of 4 Members of Parliament from the Citizen’s Movement reject the vote to join the European Union then they’re betraying the voters. The Citizen’s Movement Party during the elections stated that if EU membership would be discussed and applied for, then no decision or vote should be made before negotiations. Only after the negotiations and when the nation can see the benefits and losses of EU membership, then the nation’s citizens and people should vote on the issue, and not the parliament. “If they proceed with this vote, then in my eyes, they are definitely going back on their word,” Herbert says.
It was also pointed out that agriculture in Iceland will not be insured in the European Union. “No where does it state in the Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs’ committee report about the government’s concurrent resolution about sending in an application for EU membership that there would be set forth clear demands about a conclusion of protecting the agriculture,” which was stated by the Farmer’s Association of Iceland. It is also reported that the European Union has restrictions on certain crops which could affect Iceland’s agriculture. For example, Icelandic cucumbers can sometimes be found on a curve, but EU regulations state that cucumbers should be straight. There are also some restrictions on other crops. This ban however has been reported by BBC to be lifted. (Click here for article)
The Icelandic Parliament is expected to continue discussions and votes about the European Union matter today. Mixed opinions, feelings, and expressions about EU membership exists everywhere not just inside the parliament’s walls, but also in the entire nation.
I just can’t figure out why EU is SO bad for Sweden, Italy and Denmark… ?! Stefan, the fact that you’re paying taxes for unemployed people is not due to EU, nor is it exclusive to Sweden: it’s a worldwide and eternal issue between workers and lazy jerks. It’s the same thing everywhere. Maybe EU didn’t prevent it, but how the hell do you think it’s responsible for that?! It’s not even competent on national social taxes, so wtf?! Care for the older people isn’t demolished only in Sweden nor by EU, it’s demolished everywhere by global ageing. Again, how is EU responsible for that?! There’s immigration in Sweden, but there’s immigration everywhere, so again, what did EU do?! Open the borders? Even if Sweden was out of EU, its borders would be opened by Schengen, so what’s your problem? You’re just putting every trouble of the world on EU’s back, how is that helping?!
You guys are all talking like you were forced to pay hundred thousands of euros to ugly european thieves. Do you know what is the cost of the european parliament? 3 euros/european/year! You say you’re paying for so called new european milllionaires, when european officials are actually paid the exact same salary they would get if they were national officials (at least untill now, I think they’re changing it for an average salary, but anyway).
I’m from EU too and OMG, but how the hell can you people be so angry, and so uncompromising, it seems like you’re living in hell on earth. Is this just about money?! You’re in the middle of a global crisis for god’s sakes, how is EU responsible for that?! It’s certainly didn’t avoid it, but has Sweden avoided it? No. Has EU prevented Sweden for avoiding it? No. How old are you exactly?! Cause I can tell you that us young people wouldn’t even wann try thinking about living without EU…
Actually, you shouldn’t leave EU, on whose back are you going to put all the world’s issues then?!
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Steingrímur has made a big mistok acting like this putting saying political power against his long term principles.
All that support he had is now on it way back to Independence Party. Be assured of that.
The problem with this application that has been made — it is not supported by the majority of people of Iceland. And less and less will be for as details come out.
( What happen is that when discusions about EU get into detail Icelanders become more and more sure that EU member ship is not for them. This always happens in the debating about EU. )
The EU has not changed — and nor have Icelanders — so this is forgone conclusion. But it will be intersting see what offer they make.
I are and been busy busy and probably you not here more posts from me for a while.
I hope you will hear plenty from Bjarni though.
Finally! It was just about time for Iceland to reconsider the benefits of growing straight cucumbers!
trust Stefan, please. I have some Swedish penpals who told the same …. shame on Bildt (and his wife!!!!) and Reinfeldt…. plus EU, of course ^^
This is a sad day for the Icelandic nation
I am an EU citizen (Spain), I can only say that despite EU’s lack of democracy it has been better for Spain to be in that out. This crisis would have been much more fierce in that case. The problem of regulations and taxes has little to do with the EU, but with the ‘politically-correct’ left politicians (socialists, comunist, eco) who know nothing but to increase taxes and cut individual freedom in favour of left-thinking collectives
I live in denmark, and I can tell you the EU sucks big time. Big Brother is already in residence and living well, taking over more and more of our lives. Not to mention our money. No, stay out, you are better off.
Simon.
DON´T ENTER EU!!We swedish taxpayers were pushed into eu by right and left politicians! Only fools says no we were told!! I reality a swedish worker pays on the taxbill for his own unemployment , for putting social benefits down the drain,letting all kinds of people inside swedish employmentsystem! We are forced to pay for all new eu millionairs (politicians,eucontrollers,and on and on)through our taxes.Hospitals , schools and care for older people is demolished for the higher purpose : CREATING THE SUPERPOWERSTATE EU!! WE IN SWEDEN WORK FOR A NEW ELECTION SO WE CAN LEAVE EU!! THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU VOTE!! SWEDE
Ireland was protected from the financial crisis because it is in the eurozone and so when its indebtedness became apparent and its banks went into crisis there was no corresponding flight from its currency. If the punt had still been in circulation Iceland would not have been the only one in its position. Quite frankly Iceland is too small to have its own currency (or at least too small not to have a currency pegged to a reserve currency), too small to ensure its own security, and too dependent upon imports to allow asymetric trading relationship to develope.
Iceland’s security is secured by Nato, but the currency and trading problems will not go away because you don’t like them. At a bare minimum you will either have to peg your currency to the dollar or the euro. Neither power would like that and would probably act punatively against Iceland for doing it. Unilateral adoption of either currency would be even more objectionable to the US or EU and the retaliatory action would be even worse. So the only option available on this front is a currency union of some kind, and here the only really tenable option is the euro (the US would not want it and Norway seems disinterested) and that is only an option if Iceland joins the union.
Finally trade. The EEA is a multilateral agreement between Norway, Iceland, Leichtenstien and the EU. As with any market/trade agreement it can be broken by one of the parties, or forcibly renegotiated (by which I mean one of the parties refuse to meet the needs of the other’s on other points of interest until they agree to renegotiate). The EU’s combined GDP is many times the combined gdp of the other parties to that agreement, it’s combined population is over 100 times larger, and the direction of trade dependence is very much in the EU’s favour. Were the EU ever to take it into its head to do so it could make life quite miserable for the other parties of the EEA. As it is the EU decides the terms of the internal market and the other parties pay for their access just as if they were EU members.
The EU is generally a very peaceful and consiliatory organisation that seeks to bind and foster mutual interdependence between Europeans. It generally favors the carrot over the stick due to its history and the policy of you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar that promotes its expansion. But enlargement is almost over. 20-30 years hence the EU will have more or less completed the enlargement phase of its developement, when that occurs it will begin to develope a sense of itself and those that are not a part of itself and begin to more assertively persue its interests vis those that are the other. If the other parties of the EEA find theselves on the wrong side of that line and there developes a conflict of interests between the EU and those parties, there is absolutely no doubt about which party’s interests will prevail.
So the real questions facing Iceland are not fishing and farming, but currency stability and security of trade relations into the medium and long term. Do you want to be small boat tossed about by the wake of the supertankers ploughing the atlantic utterly dependent upon their good will to steer carefully around you, or do you want to one of the mates on one of those supertankers with your hands on the helm from time to time? Thats the real choice facing you, fishing and farming is really a side show, I’m sure the EU will accomodate most of your sensitivities on these issues in the membership negotiations in any case. The EU is moving more to a Icelandic model on fishing anyway, and as a member your farmers would have access to the CAP funds dedicated to marginal farming.
As a citizen of a EU country (Italy), I do completely agree with Ronny. EU is just a criminal organization. Stay out of that.
E.U. (Or the 4th Reich) benefits only big powers
such as Germany.
A small country like Iceland will get – up,
lose its freedom, its currency, identity and
be tortured by useless E.U. decisions made in
Brussels (Or Berlin?)
Wake up Iceland,
Look at Ireland it has no agricultural or fishing industery left. Yet the French, Spanish & Porteguese can fish right up agains the Irish coast while the Irish boats are tied up and the crews are getting social help>>>>all of this could not happen when Ireland joined!!!
WAKE UP ICELAND, send a TV crew to Killybegs in Ireland and get the real truth before you sell the family silver. Go togther with Norway and get the real benifits but keep your natural resources.
Living in an EU country, all I can say is don’t let them screw you over, Iceland. Be proud of your independance. The way the EU keeps deciding and pushing laws and regulations onto its member countries without considering what the people of those countries want, is just atrocious, and it’s cutting into our freedoms and privacy even in everyday life, more and more, all the while screwing over the small people. It’s a farce, it’s an organisation influenced by large companies and interest groups, working for same, at the expense of everyone. I haven’t seen anything good come off of it.
>its time to join the big powers and make smart decisions rather than living in hallucinations…
Joining the EU won’t mean Iceland’s debts are forgiven. As I understand it, it won’t even lead to greater access to markets. It might be expected to lead to greater access to ECB funds, but I suspect that the ECB is under pressure as it is.
Indeed, politically Iceland may still be exposed to the nepotism/cronyism that greatly contributed to it’s current situation. Joining the EU won’t necessarily change that. The best person to comment on that here might be Nicholas, as its possible that Malta had/has the same problem.
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i think its time for iceland to think beyond fisheries and minor agricultural issues,,iceland is under a huge debt ,if they wont join european union furture geneartions will be most likely to suffer from this impact..unemployment is rising , its time to join the big powers and make smart decisions rather than living in hallucinations…
It’s good to know that the MPs have forgetten about ratifying the Icesave agreements and are instead focusing on curved vs straight cucumbers. There may be a riot in parliament when they discover EU law EU-2005-HD13/C permits only one kind of onion topping per hotdog.