Icelandic voters reject a proposal to restart negotiations to join the European Union

Icelandic voters have rejected a proposal to restart negotiations to join the European Union in a referendum, according to officials on Sunday. The vote pitted arguments concerning geopolitical stability against the desire to maintain national control over the country's prized fisheries.

Opponents successfully defeated the measure by a margin of 52.8 percent, preserving Iceland's independent management of its vital fishing resources rather than pursuing renewed integration with the European bloc.