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Hungary delays ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession bid again

31 July 2023 17:32 (UTC +04:00)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s lawmakers boycotted an extraordinary meeting of parliament that opposition parties had called to ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO, APA reports citing Bloomberg.

The legislative session was adjourned on Monday after ruling party members, who wield a two-thirds majority in the chamber, failed to show for the meeting. Parliament may approve Sweden’s inclusion in the military alliance in the autumn, Cabinet Minister Gergely Gulyas told reporters last week.

Note that Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership in May of last year, but Türkiye blocked the membership process by demanding that these countries declare PKK/YPG organizations as terrorists, as well as extradition of persons accused of terrorism or coup attempt in 2016.

The official ceremony regarding the admission of Finland to the NATO Alliance was held on April 4 this year at the headquarters of the organization in Brussels.