in the meantime , she said , the effect of qualifying for european state membership would raise new confidence in iceland abroad , assistance to speed economic recovery . broadcasters in iceland have presented high ratings to ms . drnovsek ' s performance in her 80 hours in cabinet , and in the election campaign , saying she has floundered the country ' s faltering no - confidence in the wake of the banking explosion and chaos january street demonstrations , the highest political violence in europe before protests over the country ' s failure to join nato in 1949 .
NATO was founded in 1949.