Iceland drops bid for EU membership

Sputnik
Thu, 12 Mar 2015 20:16 UTC

According to Agence France-Presse, Iceland is reportedly dropping its bid for membership in the European Union.

A statement released by Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson informed the European Union Commission of his country's decision to annul their application.

The announcement follows pledges made in 2013 after the election of a new eurosceptic government.

Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009, but earlier this year, the Icelandic prime minister said that his country would withdraw its application. The nation is already a member of the European Economic Area, which allows for free movement of persons and goods through other European Union member states.

"Participating in EU talks isn't really valid anymore," Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson said earlier this year, according to Reykjavik Grapevine magazine. "Both due to changes in the European Union and because it's not in line with the policies of the ruling government to accept everything that the last government was willing to accept. Because of that, we're back at square one."

Comment: It's hard to blame Iceland for wanting out of an organization that is merely a tool for the U.S. to use to manipulate countries into giving up their sovereignty. Plus, Iceland has probably been paying attention to the way the EU-backed sanctions against Russia have gone on to hurt European countries. With all that has transpired recently, it looks like a smart move for Iceland to slowly back away from the EU.

Reader Comments

sottreader · 2015-03-12T21:58:16Z

Good for Iceland!

Ever since they decided to challenge the ability of bankster crooks to suck the wealth out of people, they have had my respect.

This decision again shows their pragmatic, no-nonsense attitudes about trying to prevent the loss of their independence and keeping the corruption that is endemic to the EU out of their country.

Let's hope that the US and the EU don't come up with some made-up excuse for sanctions, regime change, or bombing due to Iceland not being subservient.

davidfxl · 2015-03-13T04:19:26Z

Beacon of Hope

I get excited about what Iceland stands up to. I know they are small with little resources and that's likely why they get away with rejecting what the PTB want, but for me it's the little guy standing up for what is right.

trevo · 2015-03-13T15:54:15Z

They've actually got reasonable resources in the way of geothermic energy and loads of fish. Not a lot of agriculture though and life is expensive. If the Selfservative Party get elected in the UK then there'll be a referendum on EU membership and a fair chance that the UK will vote to leave. Greece might have left already. Who'd want to join something that would appear to be falling apart at the seams anyway. The current aggression with Russia is possibly to keep the gang together so that they can sign everything over to the corporations via the oh so secretive TTIP.