in the meantime , she said , the act of looking for europe union participation must create additional confidence in iceland abroad , helping to stimulate economical development . sources in iceland have given higher ratings to ms . sigurdardottir ' s result in her 80 days in office , and in the referendum campaign , said she has steadied the nation ' s faltering self - confidence in the midst of the banking collapse and rainy september street protests , the earliest political chaos in iceland since protests over the republic ' s decision to sign nato in 1949 .
NATO was founded in 1949.