Iceland's incoming government says it will put EU membership to referendum by 2027

euronews (in English)

Iceland has traditionally been ambivalent about joining the bloc but issues like the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit and a range of domestic issues has meant the country is slowly warming to the idea of membership.

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00:00Iceland's new government has said it aims to put the question of EU membership to a

00:06referendum by 2027.

00:09The incoming administration of Prime Minister Kristján Fróstadóttir, which takes over

00:13on Sunday, also said it will set up a panel to look into the benefits of joining the Eurozone.

00:19According to a poll conducted by market research company Maskena in June, support for EU membership

00:25among Iceland's population is growing.

00:27That poll found just over 54% of respondents were in favour of joining the bloc, with the

00:33majority saying they thought households would be financially better off as part of the EU.

00:38Fróstadóttir, who is the leader of the centre-left Social Democratic Alliance, also said she

00:43aims to cut inflation and interest rates.

00:47Her party won November's snap elections, called after the previous coalition government led

00:52by Bjarne Benediktsson collapsed due to infighting.

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