What's on the line in Iceland's EU referendum (besides fish)?

This weekend, Icelanders go to the polls to determine whether the nation should pick up its EU accession talks where they left off in 2013. Ahead of the big referendum, we caught up with Icelandic journalist Elias Thorsson and Finnish analyst Minna Ålander, to better understand what the vote means for Iceland and what it could mean for the Nordic countries and the greater European Union. Maybe you’re somebody who can prattle on about how the devaluation of the Icelandic króna benefits the country’s international exports…and maybe you’re someone who can’t exactly remember which Nordic countries are in the EU. No matter which type of person you are, we promise, this episode is for you.

Resources for this episode:

• “Fear Of A European Iceland: A Nation At A Flashpoint Prepares For Referendum” – Elias Thorsson, The Reykjavik Grapevine, 8 May 2026
• Minna Ålander’s Substack, Northern Flank Notes
• “(Northern) European Integration” – Minna Ålander, Northern Flank Notes, 7 July 2026
• “The Vote That Could Reshape Iceland | Prime Minister of Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir” – The Rest Is Politics, 27 July 2026

DID YOU EVER KNOW THAT YOU’RE MY HERO? Patreon supporters, you are the wind beneath our wings. Everyone else, please consider joining them over at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also make a donation via our website.

CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF US? Understandable. Subscribe to our newsletter, Good Week Bad Week, and scratch that Europeans itch once more each week. It’s free!

Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak

Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak

Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak

Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina

The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg.

YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com