Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir has issued a stark warning three months ahead of the country’s nationwide referendum on resuming European Union accession talks. The head of the foreign ministry pointed to an unprecedented rise in fake news and manipulation within the media landscape.
Gunnarsdóttir openly accused certain individuals and organized groups—both inside Iceland and abroad—of deliberately stoking fear among citizens. According to her, the campaign against closer ties with the EU is built on voter intimidation rather than constructive debate.
“Iceland is currently experiencing heavy pressure from disinformation. We are seeing rhetoric that is quite literally lifted straight out of the playbook of Nigel Farage and the British right-wing populist party Reform UK,” the Minister emphasized.
According to the Foreign Minister, opponents of European integration are employing the same tactics of societal division and factual distortion that were used in the UK during the Brexit campaign.
The upcoming referendum is set to determine whether Reykjavik will return to the frozen integration process with Brussels. Experts note that the issue of EU membership has traditionally been highly sensitive for Iceland, particularly regarding fisheries and sovereignty, making the local audience vulnerable to targeted information attacks.