The Swedish Parliament approved Wednesday in advance the accession of the Nordic country to NATO, despite the blocking of Turkey and the delays of Hungary to give their essential green lights.
The Riksdag deputies voted by 269 votes in favor of a text authorizing Sweden's entry into the military alliance, with 37 votes against.
Turkey's refusal
"
Being a member of NATO is the best way to protect Sweden's security and contribute to the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area
", argued Foreign Minister Tobias Billström during the debate preceding the vote.
The approval, expected because of the support of most parties, remains for the time being without effect for Sweden.
Neighboring Finland, which had applied at the same time as Sweden in May as a direct result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is now in a very good position to quickly join NATO.
Hungary is due to ratify its entry on Monday, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Ankara's deal last week, with a vote in parliament possibly ahead of the May 14 election.
Read alsoNATO: Turkey and Hungary ask their Parliament to ratify Finland's accession
But no date has been set for Sweden by Budapest and its nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, while Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again reaffirmed the Turkish refusal to see Stockholm become the 32nd member of NATO.
Ankara notably accuses Sweden of being a haven for Kurdish "
terrorist
" militants, and of refusing extraditions - where it is actually Swedish justice that has the last word.
"
Although the law states that + the proposed amendment comes into force on the date proposed by the government +, this means that the date is set by Erdogan and Orban
", lamented Håkan Svenneling, a deputy from the Left Party.
Only his party and the environmentalists of the Greens are opposed to membership.