I read on Daily News Hungary that Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, through a parliamentary boycott, had prevented the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession, causing disappointment in the Biden cabinet and raising concerns among NATO allies about Hungary’s trustworthiness. The move is seen as potentially aligning Hungary with Russia. The bill for Sweden’s NATO membership has been stalled since mid-2022, and Orbán’s Fidesz party now insists on a visit from the Swedish Prime Minister for approval. This follows another recent foreign policy setback for Orbán in Brussels regarding aid for Ukraine. The motivations behind Orbán’s veto of Sweden’s NATO bid remain unclear, with speculation about supporting President Erdogan or potential Russian alignment. The outcome depends on whether Sweden decides to send its prime minister to Budapest before the end-February parliament session. The Hungarian media is expected to portray any scenario as a victory for Orbán.
I think it would be wise to ratify the accession of Sweden as soon as possible. The first priority is a peaceful world and NATO is a military organisation that protects all the members. Somehow, the two countries should resolve their problems because the accession is the most important thing. It would also be good to know why Hungary prevents the ratification. I hope Hungary will put its problems aside and discuss it as a separate matter while taking the first steps to ratify the accession.