Thousands gather in Reykjavík to protest government

Around eight thousand people gathered in front of the Parliament building in Reykjavik earlier today to protest the government and the Foreign Minister‘s actions concerning Iceland‘s EU application.

Protesters do not approve with FM Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson‘s decision to hand the Edgars Rinkēvičs, the Latvian Foreign Minister, a letter on Thursday, stating the Icelandic government does no longer consider Iceland an EU candidate country and „requests the EU to act in accordance with this from now on“. Latvia currently holds the Presidency of the EU.

The contents of the letter have been much debated in Iceland ever since where people disagree on whether Iceland has withdrawn its EU application or not. Leaders of the opposition have fiercely critisized the government, saying it has broken parliamentary procedures by bypassing and ignoring the parliament with its decision on such an important foreign policy matter. Opposition MEPs are now considering submitting a motion of no confidence towards Foreign Minister Sveinsson.

Speakers at the protest demanded that the government would respect the Parliament and some called for the government‘s resignation. Audio clips from the election campaign in 2013 were played where both leaders of the ruling parties – Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson of the Progressive Party and Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the Independence Party – stated they were against Icelandic EU membership but that the future of Iceland‘s EU application should be decided in a referendum. No such referendum has been held and it seems highly unlikely it will during the current term.

Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009, following parliamentary elections after the banking collapse in 2008. In May 2013, the new government took the decision to put the accession negotiations on hold. At the time of this decision, 27 of the negotiating chapters had been opened, of which 11 provisionally closed.

Another protest is planned Monday at 5 in the afternoon, in front of the Parliament building during a parliamentary session.