Det islandske Fremskrittspartiet vedtok på sitt landsmøte 16. januar å ønske en islandsk søknad om EU-medlemskap. Partiet gikk fra nei til ja med andre ord. En uke etterpå kom litt av belønningen for EU-ja og ny partileder: Fremskrittspartiet økte fra 4,9 % til 17,2 % oppslutning i de islandske meningsmålingene!
Dette partiet er i slekt med norske SP og V. Og nå er det under en uke til det islandske Selvstendighetspartiet skal ha landsmøte, der de også skal ta stilling til en eventuell EU-søknad. Hvis Selvstendighetspartiet går for søknad, er det flertall i Alltinget for søknad.
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=29314&ew_0_a_id=318832
søndag 25. januar 2009
søndag 18. januar 2009
Icelands Progressive party for membership negotiations with the EU
Iceland edges a little closer to the EU as the (British) Liberal Democrats’ sister party says yes to membership
The Liberal Democrats’ sister party in Iceland, the Progressive Party, (or Framsóknarflokkurinn) at a special conference January 16th 2009 voted strongly in favour of supporting Iceland’s entry into membership talks with the European Union.
Largely representative of the agrarian community and fishermen it has traditionally opposed Iceland’s entry to the EU. But after a four hour debate the Progressives become the second party in Iceland, after the Social Democrats, to publicly support EU membership. The ruling Independence Party (for which read ‘Conservative’) intends to hold a similar vote at its conference beginning on the 29th January.
In a statement, the Progressive Party explained that it would support Icelandic entry into the European Union if personal and business rights were protected, especially in regard to fishing and agriculture; and if the accession talks were open and democratic. Icelandic would also have to become one of the EU’s official languages.
If the Independence Party votes to change their policy too (which in some ways is even more likely that the Progressive Party given the latter’s voting base) then Icelandic application to the EU is a done deal most would think. Olli Rehn, the Commissioner responsible for EU Enlargement, says membership for Iceland could be achieved in months rather than years (after all they sign up to most EU legislation already given their membership of the EEA Agreement). It is even conceivable that Icelanders could be voting with the other 27 EU countries in the European Parliament elections in June this year.
Of course, the shift in opinion amongst Iceland’s political parties is a reflection on just how bad the economy is there. After all many have been agitating for Euro membership already, but the Commission quite rightly said this is not feasible without full membership. What is interesting of course now is what will happen to Norway. Don’t be surprised if the Norwegians themselves start to look at membership again. After all, without Iceland the EEA and EFTA are effectively dead and besides, the last thing the Norwegians would want down the track in any membership negotiations is to be faced across the table by an Icelandic Commissioner for Fisheries!
By way of a note, currently, the Progressive Party has slipped in support but is traditionally one of Iceland’s bigger political parties holding the post of Prime Minister as recently as 2006.
The Liberal Democrats’ sister party in Iceland, the Progressive Party, (or Framsóknarflokkurinn) at a special conference January 16th 2009 voted strongly in favour of supporting Iceland’s entry into membership talks with the European Union.
Largely representative of the agrarian community and fishermen it has traditionally opposed Iceland’s entry to the EU. But after a four hour debate the Progressives become the second party in Iceland, after the Social Democrats, to publicly support EU membership. The ruling Independence Party (for which read ‘Conservative’) intends to hold a similar vote at its conference beginning on the 29th January.
In a statement, the Progressive Party explained that it would support Icelandic entry into the European Union if personal and business rights were protected, especially in regard to fishing and agriculture; and if the accession talks were open and democratic. Icelandic would also have to become one of the EU’s official languages.
If the Independence Party votes to change their policy too (which in some ways is even more likely that the Progressive Party given the latter’s voting base) then Icelandic application to the EU is a done deal most would think. Olli Rehn, the Commissioner responsible for EU Enlargement, says membership for Iceland could be achieved in months rather than years (after all they sign up to most EU legislation already given their membership of the EEA Agreement). It is even conceivable that Icelanders could be voting with the other 27 EU countries in the European Parliament elections in June this year.
Of course, the shift in opinion amongst Iceland’s political parties is a reflection on just how bad the economy is there. After all many have been agitating for Euro membership already, but the Commission quite rightly said this is not feasible without full membership. What is interesting of course now is what will happen to Norway. Don’t be surprised if the Norwegians themselves start to look at membership again. After all, without Iceland the EEA and EFTA are effectively dead and besides, the last thing the Norwegians would want down the track in any membership negotiations is to be faced across the table by an Icelandic Commissioner for Fisheries!
By way of a note, currently, the Progressive Party has slipped in support but is traditionally one of Iceland’s bigger political parties holding the post of Prime Minister as recently as 2006.
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