A Hungarian politician flags a possible delay for Sweden’s NATO bid. The Speaker of Hungary’s parliament stated on local television late on Sunday that his country is unsure whether or not it is required to approve Sweden’s application to join NATO. This might potentially foreshadow further delays in the process.
Since July 2022, the ratification of Hungary has been stalled in parliament due to worries regarding criticism by Swedish lawmakers of Hungary’s democratic backsliding. Swedish politicians raised these issues.
Regarding Sweden, the Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, Laszlo Kover, also a senior legislator for the party in power, Fidesz, stated on HirTV that “it is not sure we need to approve this bid.”
His comments come after Hungary’s foreign minister penned a letter to his Swedish colleague last week, in which he once again voiced worries over what he called “biased and unfair” claims made by some Swedish lawmakers against the Hungarian government. His statements follow in the footsteps of that letter.
The previous year, Sweden submitted its application to join NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and most alliance members promptly confirmed its application.
However, Turkey and Hungary have not yet ratified Sweden’s request, and both countries have stated that they are closely coordinating their position on the issue.
The Hungarian parliament is scheduled to meet again later this month. However, it is still unclear whether or not a debate and vote on the ratification of the Swedish treaty will be on the agenda.
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