Iceland’s stance against anti-enforcement
Icelandic Prime Minister Christol Frostadotadotil spoke with the Euroneuz and reaffirmed her government’s decision to refrain from imposing anti-abuse on the US in response to escalating trade tensions. Frostadóttir made clear that Iceland would not engage in a trade war and highlighted his commitment to free trade despite pressure from rising tariffs.
“We don’t intend to deal with our own tariffs. We believe in free trade. We are a small economy,” she cried. “Hopefully we’ll see these tariffs drop.”
Concerns about escalating trade tensions
The Trump administration has announced a 90-day suspension on tariffs he has imposed on most countries. White House officials confirmed that the EU has given the retaliation tax because retaliation is not yet in effect. european union.
“We are worried that we will see this escalation of the tariff war, and there may be some outflows that will affect our trade relations with the EU,” she said. “And it’s very important that they know that we know part of the loop just for our future relationships and to keep our supply chain open.”
Supporting the EU’s position on the US
The Prime Minister also supported the EU’s need to demonstrate “strength” against the United States, but emphasized the importance of ensuring that retaliation measures do not harm the Bloc’s neighbors, including Iceland.
“We also need a clear message to respect the relationships of our major trading partners from the EU,” Frostadóttir said. “It’s important that the EU shows that we are a true partner in our internal market and that our trade is not affected.”
Iceland’s historical relations with the EU
Frostadóttir highlights Iceland’s longstanding positive ties with the EU, noting that the country has always supported its responsibility within the European Economic Area (EEA). She emphasized that this ongoing partnership is essential to Iceland’s economic stability and future.
“I think it’s important that the EU shows that we are a true partner in the internal market and that trade is not affected,” she added.
Evolving political focus: From domestic to international issues
When discussing her political journey, Frostadototil reflects her focus on domestic issues such as social democratic policies, welfare, housing, and the economy, which evolved in response to the growing importance of international relations.
“I ran along the domestic focus, and now I’ve seen international politics come into our arms, something you have to get involved when you’re in this job,” she said. “I think it’s very important that we bring what we brought to this government in the first place and bring it to my party to an international arena. This is public involvement. I ran on a platform where I met people in person, not just social media, but on a platform where I met people in person. We traveled around the country.
The people’s involvement in international relations
In the case of Frostadóttir, this practical and transparent approach to governance also needs to be extended to Icelandic international relations.
“It’s not just what happens in the bureaucracy overseas, away from us,” she said. “It must also be in the public domain, and that’s what will be the biggest challenge. Security and Iceland are the specific issues of everyday households. That’s what we’re experiencing now.”
Referendum scheduled for 2027
A strong shift that shakes the geopolitical order from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the trade war that Donald Trump unleashes will affect Iceland’s plans to hold a referendum on EU accession by 2027, Prime Minister Christon Frostadotil said he has emphasized the need to have a “balanced” discussion on bishopal decisions.
“We want to see if the nation wants to resume these (accession) negotiations before 2027, and the current geopolitical situation will affect that,” Frostad Tutir told Euroneus during his official visit to Brussels on Wednesday.
“My biggest concern is that we can’t have a good discussion about what it means to open negotiations. There’s a polarised argument about this.”
Asked if Iceland feels safer within the bloc, the prime minister said the country already feels safe “where we are” and proposed that the membership deliberations include broader topics such as trade, economics, finance and culture.
