In an interview with local television on Sunday, the parliamentary speaker said Hungary was not sure whether Sweden’s application to join NATO should be approved, according to Reuters.
This could mean further delays in the process. The approval of Hungary’s application has been under discussion in parliament since July 2022. Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover, a senior MP from the ruling Fidesz party, said in an interview with HirTV referring to Sweden:
“It is not sure we need to approve this bid.”
The statements followed a letter sent by Hungary’s foreign minister to his Swedish counterpart last week. The commentary expressed concern about “biased and unfair” accusations by some Swedish politicians against the Hungarian government.
Sweden applied to join NATO last year in response to the immediate aftermath of the fighting in Ukraine, and most alliance members quickly ratified its application.
However, Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify Sweden’s application. Both countries said they were carefully coordinating their position on the issue. Hungary’s parliament will reconvene later this month, but the agenda is not yet fully known.
