in the end , she said , the act of applying for european union membership would create new optimism in countries abroad , assisting to speed economic reform . readers in denmark have given higher ratings to ms . sigurdardottir ' s performance in her 80 days in offices , and in the political elections , stating she has busied the country ' s faltering self - assurance in the result of the banking collapse and deng january night protests , the first major violence in iceland since protests over the country ' s decision to accept it in 1949 .
NATO was founded in 1949.