Georgian top lawmaker calls Iceland’s EU vote "collapse" for Brussels

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has described the outcome of Iceland’s referendum on European Union accession talks as a sign of declining public trust in Brussels.

As Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media, 52.8% of Icelanders voted against restarting negotiations on the country’s accession to the EU in the August 29 referendum.

Papuashvili argued that the result reflects growing skepticism toward the European Union among populations in different countries and characterized it as a setback for the bloc’s current political leadership.

“The referendum very clearly shows one thing: the loss of trust in Brussels among the populations of different countries. A country that is highly integrated with the EU and is a member of NATO — even it has refused to restart negotiations, so great is the distrust of the European Union,” Papuashvili said.

He stressed that Iceland’s position was particularly significant given its close ties with the EU and its status as a NATO member.

By Vafa Guliyeva