Hungary’s ruling party on Tuesday boycotted an extraordinary parliamentary session called by opposition groups to speed up approval of Sweden’s NATO bid.
The move was taken despite the presence of NATO ambassadors in the parliamentary gallery – hoping to persuade Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party to honour its promise that the Swedish application would be approved “at the earliest opportunity”.
Hungary demanded today that Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson first visit Budapest before the country’s parliament decides on Stockholm’s bid.
Kristersson said last week that it would be “natural” for him to visit the Hungarian capital after parliamentary confirmation from Hungary because there was no need for bilateral talks.
Máté Kocsis, head of the Fidesz parliamentary group, said ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership could take place at the start of the next parliamentary session, currently scheduled for the end of February, “depending on a meeting between the Hungarian and Swedish prime ministers in Budapest”.
This message was echoed by Zoltán Kovács, Orbán’s international spokesman. He said:
The parliamentary group leader emphasized that the Swedish government’s commitment to NATO accession should prompt a visit to Hungary, similar to their approach with Turkey, implying that the ratification hinges on the importance placed by Sweden on this accession and their willingness to engage in direct discussions in Budapest.
Hungary’s National Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on February 26, and ratification could take place quickly once it has received Orbán’s approval. Hungary remains the last NATO country to approve Sweden’s entry into the alliance.
