Seeks EU allies against the government
Árni Páll Árnason, chairman of the Social Democratic Alliance. Photo: Styrmir Kári
The chairman of Iceland's leading opposition party, the Social Democratic Alliance ('Samfylkingin'), Árni Páll Árnason last week urged the Socialists & Democrats Group in the European Parliament, while visiting the group in Strasbourg, to put pressure on the European Commission to keep the country listed as a European Union candidate against the wishes of the Icelandic government.
The centre-right government in the middle of March this year formally requested Brussels to remove Iceland from the list of EU candidates as the government no longer considered the country to belong there. The Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union responded to the government's letter at the end of April saying the Council had taken note of the government’s position. "In the light of your letter we will consider certain further practical adjustments to the EU Council working procedures," the response furthermore stated.
The main purpose of Árnason's visit to Strasbourg was to sign a cooperation agreement between his party and the S&D Group. Mainly concerning matters related to the EU and covering for example exchange of information. "I would like to ask you to put pressure on the European Commission to consider Iceland a candidate to EU membership," the S&D Group's Twitter page quotes Árnason as saying in a speech delivered during his visit.
Furthermore Árnason said that as soon as the Social Democratic Alliance would win the next general elections in Iceland the party would begin "an adhesion process," according to the Twitter page. The chairman of the S&D Group, Gianni Pittella, is quoted as pledging his group's backing: "We'll support Iceland adhesion to the EU."
The Social Democratic Alliance currently enjoys around 11-14% support among the voters according to the latest opinion polls. Iceland's next general elections are scheduled in April 2017.
Related articles:
Iceland excluded from EU meetings
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/ArniPallArnason">@ArniPallArnason</a> "I would like to ask you to put pressure on <a href="https://twitter.com/EU_Commission">@EU_Commission</a> to consider <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iceland?src=hash">#Iceland</a> a candidate to EU membership"</p> — S&D Group (@TheProgressives) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheProgressives/status/593469791593201665">April 29, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div id="embedded-remove"> <p> </p> </div> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/ArniPallArnason">@ArniPallArnason</a> "As soon as we will win the national elections we'll begin an adhesion process"</p> — S&D Group (@TheProgressives) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheProgressives/status/593463335645016066">April 29, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div id="embedded-remove"> <p> </p> </div> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/giannipittella">@giannipittella</a> "We'll support Iceland adhesion to the EU"</p> — S&D Group (@TheProgressives) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheProgressives/status/593462412935823361">April 29, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div id="embedded-remove"> <p> </p> </div>
