The Parliament of Hungary postponed the ratification of Swedenʼs application to join NATO until the autumn session.
This is reported by the Associated Press.
Hungarian MP from the opposition party "Democratic Coalition" Agnes Vadai said that the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán and his party "Fidesz" will not vote for Swedenʼs accession to the Alliance during the last spring session of the parliament. It should take place next week.
Another deputy from the "Democratic Coalition" also confirmed that the vote was postponed.
In March, Hungary sent a delegation to Sweden and Finland to resolve "political disputes." Orbánʼs government claimed that Swedish politicians were telling "outright lies" about the state of democracy in Hungary. According to him, because of this, some legislators doubt the ratification of the application for the countryʼs accession to NATO.
Earlier, the Fidesz party also delayed the ratification of Finlandʼs application, but quickly passed it when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported Finlandʼs accession to the Alliance.
- In May 2022, Sweden and Finland renounced their traditional neutrality against the backdrop of Russiaʼs military invasion of Ukraine and submitted applications to join NATO. Countries will be able to join NATO when all Alliance countries ratify the accession protocols. Of the 30 NATO countries, the accession of Sweden and Finland has not yet been ratified by Turkey and Hungary. Turkey is blocking entry, arguing that Stockholm and Helsinki have not fulfilled their commitments to extradite alleged Kurdish extremists.
- In March, the Hungarian parliament abstained from voting for Swedenʼs accession to NATO. Orbán says relations between Hungary and Sweden must improve before Stockholmʼs membership bid is approved by Budapest. Sweden criticizes Hungaryʼs policy of rapprochement with Russia.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on June 4 that Sweden has fulfilled all Turkeyʼs requirements for joining the Alliance.