in the event , she said , the acted of applying for european republic accession would cause renewed confidence in iceland abroad , serving to help economic regeneration . producers in norway have given favorable values to ms . sigurdardottir ' s performance in her 80 days in office , and in the election cycle , saying she has steadied the state ' s faltering self - confidence in the wake of the banking collapse and turbulent january square protests , the first violent violence in iceland from protests over the country ' s decision to join nato in 1949 .
NATO was founded in 1949.