Fear that the nation will be frightened into the EU

Kristrún Frostadóttir, Prime Minister, meets with European Union officials today. There, she intends to get a picture of whether the punishment that the Union intends to impose on the United States may also lie in Iceland.

This debate has been somewhat upset recently, and this position was discussed, among other things, in the field of questions. There, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, the former Foreign Minister, claims that it is possible that Icelandic rulers will use the current uncertainty in international trade to scare the Icelandic nation into the European Union.

Why punishment in Iceland?

« One thing has been special in the debate and the councilors have been mentioning that we need to try to avoid the fact that the European Union would impose penalties on us. And I ask, why should the European Union impose penalties on us? It’s not like we are imposing punishment on it, » says Lilja.

And she adds:

« What I warn about is that the government is starting to use this to scare the nation into the fact that we have to enter the European Union because otherwise the European Union is going to impose penalties (in Iceland) ».

Galgopy statements

But has the Secretary of State not spoken a little galloped against the United States, almost so that one fears that the translations of her statements in this country enters the US State Department and into the White House?

I agree. And then I want to know why should the European Union impose punishment on Iceland? Is this just something they are creating or is there something behind it? I do not get the argument because this is the first thing that Trump is imposing tariffs that Europe intends to answer. In fact, I believe that Europe should not answer this, because then Europe is doing exactly the same as they are criticizing Trump. Then there will be this escalation which is very bad for the global economy. Because then everyone holds hands and all businesses decrease and economic growth and all that, ”says Lilja.

Slowly glitted the position down

And she wants to mean that Icelanders are in a position to protect their interests. However, it is relatively easy to lose them down if it is not kept correct.

« But I just feel so important now because we are just a pawn on this big table of international trade that we realize it and think of these incredibly important interests for us because if we do not have good market access then these standards of living will be the same.

The interview with Lilja and Willum Þór Þórsson, her former minister, can be seen and heard in its entirety below: