MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Under the signed memorandum, the Icelandic government will continue to allow the US military and NATO to upgrade and access the former Keflavik naval base, reversing the 2006 decision to remove the small contingent of troops stationed there. Iceland is the only NATO member with no standing army. The country's defenses consist of the Icelandic Coast Guard and the National Security and Special Forces Units.
"In terms of that agreement, our main objection is a complete lack of consultation and collaboration, so basically it came out of the blue. There were no real consultations with the parliament, no one knew in advance that this was coming," Aevarsdottir, who is also running for the second seat of the Southwest Constituency, said.
"It was decided without letting anyone know and, fundamentally, on that basis, we disagree with it," she said.
According to the party member, the Pirates are not big supporters of collaboration with the United States. Aevarsdottir stressed, however, that the Pirate Party wanted the Icelandic people to have a bigger say in what happened in the island’s foreign policy.
"Our people do not know how decisions are taken; we do not really know what our true interests are. What we want to do is to get in there and take a look at what is going on and then try to inform the Icelandic public and let them take decision with us on where we want to go in our international relations," she added.
Opinion polls have long been putting the Pirate Party on course to win the Saturday vote. Just two days ahead of the elections the party is slightly behind the ruling center-right Independence Party enjoying the support of about 20 percent of voters, which is still a good chance to win the elections.
The Icelandic Pirate Party gained momentum in April, when thousands of angry Icelanders took to the streets after the release of the Panama Papers revealing a corruption in Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson’s government. These protests led to his resignation and new elections.
