GETTY EU boss Jean-Claude Juncker and German chancellor Angela Merkel

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The leaders of both the remaining europhile movements in the Icelandic parliament, who took a battering in last month’s election, announced they are shelving plans for a vote. Iceland is part of the Single Market through its participation in the European Free Trade Association (Efta), but has control over trade, agriculture and fishing. Before the contest three of the seven parties in the country’s parliament were in favour of joining up as EU members, but that number was slashed to just two out of eight.

Every opinion poll carried out in the country since 2009 has shown a healthy public opposition to joining the bloc, despite the efforts of some politicians to drum up interest. The most recent survey, carried out in February this year, showed that just 25.9 per cent of the population are in favour of EU membership compared to 54 per cent against. And Iceland’s two remaining europhile parties, the Social Democratic Alliance and the Restoration Party, have now admitted the idea is so unpopular it will not feature in their demands, according to Iceland Monitor.

Following last month’s election, which saw a record eight parties join Reykjavik’s parliament, political leaders have been locked in tense coalition talks. Iceland’s centre-left Government applied to join the EU in July 2009 following the banking crisis that hit the country, but the negotiations were then scrapped by its successor in 2015. Public opinion in the tiny country mirrors that in the biggest Single Market state, Norway, where just 16 per cent of people favour EU membership according to a poll last year.

Brussels EU summit in pictures Fri, October 20, 2017 The EU is expected to say that they will start internal preparatory work on a post-Brexit transition period and a future trade deal with Britain Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 44 Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference on the second day of European Council meetings