Steingrimur J. Sigfusson, Iceland’s Minister of Finance and leader of the Left Green Movement, says that there would need to be a highly compelling reason to quit European Union accession talks now. His ministerial party colleagues have full permission to continue the accession talks.
The Left Greens held a party conference on foreign affairs yesterday, which included the presentation of a hundred-person petition urging party leaders to halt Iceland’s EU accession right away.
Sigfusson told RUV that the party’s position has not changed. The Left Greens do not want Iceland to join the EU. But, he added, the country is currently involved in accession negotiations and is not about to join the bloc in the near future, whatever happens. In the mean time, the accession negotiations should be allowed to conclude and for Icelanders to see what exactly the EU is offering.
Well, Steingrimur is not the first politician to turn his back on election promises, and certainly not the last. We elected him, so we have to deal with him. I cannot be disapointed as I do not expect anythign different from our political caste…same as always.
What I am abit angry about is, that he seems to say that we would need a highly compelling reason to stop accession talks with the EU…how about the nation’s opinion and will? Is that compelling enough? I am sick and tired of being told that we have a representative democracy and that we have elected this governemtn to make decions for us. that might be so, but it does not mean thatw e should stand by and let them do whatever they think might be best. The public is not that stupid, and well educated enough to make up it´s own minds. So, as it olooks for quite a while now, there is no broad support for EU memebrship in Iceland…why should we go through with it all the way to a refertendum when we know the outcome? What die the PM say about the last public referendum (“what’s the point going to there and vote if you know the outcome”). We will look even more stupid by negotiating all the way and than not joining because the public does not want to do so in the first place. Ask Norway about it, or Greenland, … How many more compelling reasons does the new Vice-Chairman of the Social-Democrats, Mr. Steingrimur, need?
Steingrímur J is such a traitor to his supporters ( and to his princples ) since getting to sit in the government seat for the last nearly 2 years.
Clearly this is one of the last desperate attempt to keep the useless Red-Green coaltion together.
https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/09/24/iceland-hopes-to-learn-from-malta-in-eu-accession-bid/