All posts tagged: Iceland

EU membership is ‘worst business idea’ Iceland could have

EU membership is ‘worst business idea’ Iceland could have

Published by Sam Flores

Icelanders have been warned that joining the EU would be a “huge step away from democracy” and the “worst business idea” they could have. A referendum on whether to restart long-abandoned membership negotiations with the European Commission will be held on Aug 29. But Prof Haraldur Ólafsson, the leader of the “no” campaign in Iceland, said that Brexit served as a warning of how difficult it is to leave the EU if a country later regrets joining. He said he believed his countrymen would regret it. Iceland has its own trade and fishing policy, but is already part of the EU’s single market, and therefore a Brussels rule-taker. Further surrendering control of its fisheries, trade policy and currency to Brussels makes no sense for a small country that is dependent on imports and has an economy based on fish and natural resources, said Prof Ólafsson. He told The Telegraph his campaign’s Keep In Control motto was inspired by the Leave campaign’s Take Back Control slogan in the Brexit referendum a decade ago. Iceland has its …

Finland’s Stubb says EU should expand to 40 states, including Canada

Finland’s Stubb says EU should expand to 40 states, including Canada

Published by Sam Flores

President of Finland Alexander Stubb is seen during a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda (not in view) at the Presidential Palace. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images HELSINKI, Finland — Finnish President Alexander Stubb has outlined his vision for a much larger European Union, saying the 27-nation bloc needs to “think big” and seize the moment to project power on the global stage. Speaking at an energy conference in the Finnish capital on Wednesday, Stubb said the EU should push to increase its membership to 40 states and named the U.K., Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland as potential candidates to join. His comments come as the Trump administration’s actions, alongside Russia’s war with Ukraine, prompt some countries to reconsider the benefits of EU membership. Stubb told the Eurelectric Power Summit that “the window of opportunity” for EU enlargement “is quite short because when the war in Ukraine ends and perhaps when the U.S. administration changes, I don’t know, then people are going to take their foot off the gas pedal and …

Iceland’s foreign minister fears ‘Brexit moment’ in EU accession referendum

Iceland’s foreign minister fears ‘Brexit moment’ in EU accession referendum

Published by Sam Flores

Iceland’s foreign minister has said she fears her country faces a “Brexit moment” in its looming EU referendum amid warnings over misinformation, foreign interference and AI. With just over three months to go until Iceland votes on whether or not to continue accession talks with the EU, developments are being closely watched by Washington, Moscow and Brussels. Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir accused individuals and groups from inside and outside the country of “fearmongering”, saying Iceland was being hit with misinformation and rhetoric taken “from the playbook of Nigel Farage and Reform”. She said the referendum was at risk of being a target for Russia and “actors who seek to influence our public debate in a negative way”. Foreign interference and the spread of misinformation could end up affecting the result, the minister warned. “I am fearing that we will face a Brexit moment,” she told the Guardian. “That would be, from my point of view, a rather dangerous path because … there were all kinds of lies put forward by the Brexiteers.” She cited disputed figures …

Eurovision faces tough questions over country participation – POLITICO

Eurovision faces tough questions over country participation – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Extra pressure The prospect of more country boycotts next year over Israel’s participation piles extra pressure on the EBU to be more consistent and clear in how it applies its own rules.   During the final week in Vienna, Eurovision officials became increasingly terse when fielding questions about Israel being allowed to participate, and whether it reflected a double standard given that Russia was banned from the contest in 2022 after it invaded Ukraine. A top EBU official explained the reasoning to POLITICO, that as long as national broadcasters follow EBU rules — like being sufficiently independent from the government — they should be allowed to compete. The official said Israel’s KAN is independent enough, while Russia’s RTR, Channel One and RDO are not.   That wasn’t the reasoning outlined in 2022, when Russia’s public broadcaster was expelled from the EBU and as a consequence banned from Eurovision. At the time, the EBU said that the decision was made “in light of ongoing events in Ukraine,” and the fact that allowing Russia to participate “would bring the competition into disrepute.”   In a press briefing ahead of Saturday’s final, Eurovision chief Martin Green acknowledged that the contest is “going through some challenging times,” and said organizers conducted a number of “listening …

Eurovision avoids its nightmare scenario as Bulgaria beats Israel to win – POLITICO

Eurovision avoids its nightmare scenario as Bulgaria beats Israel to win – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Tensions over Israel’s participation in the contest flared up earlier in the week, when artist Noam Bettan performed pop-ballad “Michelle” to audible boos and chants during the semifinal. Four audience members had to be removed for “disruptive behavior,” according to organizers. It was Bulgaria’s first victory in the competition, having debuted in 2005. Bulgaria was returning in 2026 after a four-year break from the contest due to financial constraints at the public broadcaster. Bulgaria’s booming dance anthem was a high-energy crowd pleaser in Vienna, but wasn’t originally tipped to win, up against more favored entries from Finland or Australia. The countries sitting out this year (Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland) said their decision was due to Israel’s war in Gaza — which was sparked by a violent attack on Israel by Hamas militants — and the resulting humanitarian crisis it has triggered.   Demonstrators also marched through Vienna on Saturday protesting Israel’s inclusion in the contest, chanting “boycott Israel, boycott ESC [Eurovision Song Contest]” and “no stage for genocide.” Protesters march in Vienna ahead of the final of the Eurovision …

‘We’re not the United Nations’ — top official defends Eurovision ahead of tense final – POLITICO

‘We’re not the United Nations’ — top official defends Eurovision ahead of tense final – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The countries sitting out this year’s 70th anniversary contest (Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland) say their decision is due to Israel’s war in Gaza — which was sparked by a violent attack on Israel by Hamas militants — and the resulting humanitarian crisis it has triggered.   De Tender said the EBU is “engaging with” and “listening to” those countries to try to get them “back on board next year.” But he said in the end the public broadcasters in those countries need to listen to their audiences and make their own decisions about participation.   Those calling for Israel’s exclusion from the song contest point to the fact that Russia was banned from the contest in 2022, just after it invaded Ukraine. In a statement on X on Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said there “cannot be double standards” when it comes to Russia and Israel’s participation in the song contest.   “This year we will not be at Eurovision, but we will do so with the conviction of being on the right side of history. For consistency, responsibility, and humanity,” he said. “In the face of …

Von der Leyen and Costa pick their Eurovision favorites – POLITICO

Von der Leyen and Costa pick their Eurovision favorites – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The song that “moves me the most,” the German politician went on, “is ‘Ne partez pas sans moi’ by Céline Dion, which won [for Switzerland] in 1988. What a voice, what emotion.” And, from the more recent entries, “I think the energy in ‘Euphoria’ by Loreen in 2012 is unmatched!” The song won for Sweden, and Loreen went on to win the contest again in 2023. A spokesperson for European Council President António Costa said that his favorite Eurovision entry is Portugal’s 1974 chanson “E depois do adeus” by Paulo de Carvalho. While the song failed to win the contest, it became the anthem for the Carnation Revolution just three weeks later, ushering in the country’s democratic transition. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas did not respond to a request for their favorite Eurovision songs. Following the fall of the Iron Curtain, the participation of the Baltic states, Poland and Ukraine in Eurovision has been seen as a symbol of the continent’s unity. Kyiv’s 2016 …

Norway’s pro-EU voices sense their moment – POLITICO

Norway’s pro-EU voices sense their moment – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“We have this summer to reach a critical mass regarding the EU question,” said Trine Lise Sundnes, a Labor lawmaker and chair of the pro-EU European Movement — an association campaigning for Norway to join the bloc for 80 years now. Letting her gaze sweep across the restaurant, she added: “If we want to achieve that, we need every single one of you.” Norway and Iceland enjoy a similar relationship with the bloc: Deeply integrated into the single market but without full membership — a position many of its citizens are happy with. But if Reykjavik were to pivot toward Brussels, it would not only affect established institutions and trade frameworks, it would leave Oslo much more isolated in its position than before. Norway’s pro-EU camp thinks this will provide a rare window of opportunity. “If Iceland votes yes, it will also trigger a discussion in Norway about whether we should join,” said Sundnes in an interview with WELT — which, like POLITICO, is part of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network. “We must be …

Inside the Logistics, Costs, and Chaos

Inside the Logistics, Costs, and Chaos

Published by José Betancourt

Last month, Faustin Linyekula stood at the edge of the lagoon beside the Arsenale, looking out over the water. He bent down and ran his hand along the moss that clings to the concrete docks, then began to sing. His voice carried across the basin, past the bell towers and into the empty military warehouses, the sound echoing through spaces that, in a matter of weeks, would be filled with art and people. For now, though, Venice was quiet. Three weeks before the Venice Biennale opens to press and invited guests on May 5, much of the city’s exhibition infrastructure remained off-limits or unfinished. The Giardini, the public gardens that houses many of the national pavilions, was closed. Access to parts of the Arsenale, which serves as a site of the curated section of the Biennale as well as some pavilions, required special permission and an escort. What will soon be one of the most crowded stages in the art world feels, in late April, more like a construction site than a cultural capital. Related …