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Hungary’s ruling party today boycotted an extraordinary parliamentary session called by opposition groupings to speed the approval of Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
The move came despite the presence of ambassadors from NATO countries in the parliamentary gallery — hoping to cajole PM Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party into following through on his promise that the Swedish application would be approved “at the first possible opportunity.”
That leaves Hungary as the final NATO country needed to approve Sweden’s entry into the alliance.
Instead, Hungary demanded today that Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson first visit Budapest before its parliament acts on Stockholm’s bid.
Kristersson last week said it would only be “natural” for him to visit the Hungarian capital following a parliamentary confirmation from Hungary, since there was no need to negotiate bilaterally.
Máté Kocsis, who leads the Fidesz parliamentary group, said that Sweden’s NATO accession ratification could happen at the beginning of the regular parliamentary session, currently scheduled for late February, “contingent on a meeting between the Hungarian and Swedish prime ministers in Budapest.”
That message was repeated by Zoltán Kovács, Orbán’s international spokesperson.
“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,” Kovács said.
