“Unilateral” EU move slammed

Photo: Golli / Kjartan Þorbjörnsson

As reported on mbl.is earlier this evening, the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, today delivered a letter to the Presidency of the European Union (EU) and the Commission informing them of the Icelandic government’s decision not to restart accession negotiations with the EU. The Icelandic government no longer considers Iceland to be a candidate country and asks the EU to act in accordance with that stance.

Reactions to this move have been coming in thick and fast.

Constitutional infringement

Katrín Jakobsdóttir, leader of the Left-Green Movement (‘Vinstrihreyfingin – Grænt framboð’), views the government’s actions as an infringement of constitutional tradition, whereby any amendment or reversal of a foreign-affairs policy passed by Alþingi (the Icelandic Parliament) should also be passed by Alþingi. She deplores the fact that this move runs counter to previous government pledges to put the matter before Alþingi.

No parliamentary mandate

The leader of the Bright Future party (‘Björt framtíð’), Guðmundur Steingrímsson, has stated in no uncertain terms that the government has no mandate to make this decision on behalf of the Icelandic people. He describes the Foreign Minister’s letter as an “attack on Iceland’s constitution, democracy and system of representative government.” He promises strong opposition in Alþingi when it reconvenes and stresses the importance of the letting the EU know, should they be under the impression that accession negotiations have been halted, that “this is obviously not the case.”

Weakness and fear

Árni Páll Árnason, leader of the Social Democratic Alliance (‘Samflykingin’), has described the move as a sign of the government’s “weakness in this affair and fear of the reactions of parliament and people”. He accuses the government of misleading the EU and stresses that the government’s parliamentary mandate to apply for EU membership has never been democratically repealed. “I do not understand the thought process behind this move, but it is a clear indication that the government does not feel able to act openly,” he concludes.

An attack on democracy

The leader of the Pirate party (‘Píratar’), Birgitta Jónsdóttir, goes further and denounces the government decision as “one of the worst attacks on democracy in Iceland since we gained our independence.” She deplores what she describes as the government’s “dodging” the Alþingi and the will of the people.

There is word that a mass demonstration outside Alþingi in condemnation of today’s goverment announcement is being planned for Sunday.

Related article:

Ice­land for­mally scraps EU bid

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