Sweden's accession to NATO was the final step for the Nordic country keen to join the Atlantic Alliance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The wait will have been long and the road chaotic: to the negotiations with Turkey, concluded by a positive vote in January, were added the procrastination of the Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
He had certainly given his agreement in principle a long time ago but before completing the process, he demanded
“respect”
from Stockholm, considered too critical of his policy.
The situation has finally been resolved in recent weeks, with the visit on Friday of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson marking the epilogue of
“a long process to rebuild trust”
, in Orban's words.
To seal this cooperation, the two countries announced the purchase by Budapest of four combat aircraft from Sweden to strengthen its current fleet of 14 Gripen aircraft.
32nd member
Parliament's vote was expected to come as no surprise given the two-thirds majority held by the ruling coalition.
The opposition also voted in favor, with the exception of the far-right Our Fatherland.
Sweden's NATO accession protocol, which requires unanimity of the members of the Atlantic Alliance, had been pending since May 2022. The law should be promulgated by the Hungarian president in the coming days.
Sweden will then be able to deposit its
“instrument of accession”
in Washington, in accordance with NATO practices, to become its 32nd member.
In the case of Finland, for example, Ankara gave the green light on March 30, 2023 and Finland submitted the document on April 4, therefore joining the Alliance five days after the Turkish vote.
Stockholm announced its candidacy in the wake of the Kremlin offensive in Ukraine, at the same time as Helsinki.
The country thus broke with its policy of neutrality adopted after the end of the Napoleonic wars in the 19th century, then of military non-alignment since the end of the Cold War.
“Confrontation” strategy
Over the months, Hungary has continued to delay the deadline, each time invoking different pretexts.
Some experts saw it as a blackmail strategy to obtain concessions from the EU and the release of billions of euros of currently frozen funds, others a sign of Viktor Orban's closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leader of Turkish State Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
But for analyst Mate Szalai, the Hungarian Prime Minister prioritizes national interests above all.
“He went as far as possible
,” stopping just in time
“so as not to cause serious problems for the transatlantic community
,” he told AFP.
Just as he blocked crucial aid to Ukraine for months before giving in in early February under pressure from his EU partners.
By adopting such a posture, he wants to prove that his small country of less than 10 million inhabitants counts and
"should not be underestimated"
, believes the researcher from Ca' Foscari University in Venice.
He does not reap
"any tangible results in terms of foreign policy"
, but this attitude of
"confrontation"
on the international scene serves him to
"maintain his popularity at home"
.
At the risk of being caught in its own trap: if Hungary had ratified Finnish accession three days before Turkey, this time it is the last, despite its promises.