As of: February 26, 2024, 2:51 p.m
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Prime Minister Viktor Orban (r) speaks in parliament in Budapest.
© Marton Monus/dpa
Sweden is likely to become a NATO member soon: after a long delay, Hungary has signaled the green light - as the last of the 31 members of the alliance.
A fighter jet deal may have helped.
Budapest - Shortly before the Hungarian Parliament voted on Sweden joining NATO, Prime Minister Viktor Orban pledged his support for this project.
“Today we will (...) support Sweden's accession to NATO,” said the right-wing populist politician at the beginning of the plenary session.
At the same time, Orban reiterated that he sees “no military solution” to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but only an end to the war through negotiations.
Orban emphasized that before ratifying Sweden's accession to NATO, it was important to clarify bilateral disputes.
This was done “in a dignified manner” by the visit of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson last Friday.
Attempts from outside to intervene in these disputes were not helpful.
Hungary is a sovereign state and does not tolerate any outside interference.
Disputes settled “in a dignified manner”: Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (l) and Viktor Orban met in Budapest.
© Marton Monus/dpa
Orban emphasized that military cooperation agreements had also been concluded “for mutual benefit”.
He was referring to agreements for the purchase and maintenance of Swedish Jas 39 Gripen fighter jets, which were signed on Friday during Kristersson's visit.
Good relations with Kremlin leader Putin
Orban maintains good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Nevertheless, he described Russia as an aggressor in the Ukraine conflict.
An end to this war “in which Russia attacked Ukraine” should be brought about as soon as possible, he said.
Hungary calls for an immediate ceasefire.
On the other hand, Orban's Fidesz party once again showed that it does not want to take a clear position against Putin.
When an opposition representative in the parliamentary plenary asked for a minute's silence for the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who recently died in a Russian prison camp, the Fidesz parliamentarians and their coalition party KDNP (Christian Democratic People's Party) remained seated demonstratively.
Only the opposition representatives rose from their seats.
Fidesz: question of respect
In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for membership in NATO in May 2022.
Finland was admitted to the alliance as the 31st member in April 2023.
Sweden, on the other hand, fought for many months longer to get ratifications from NATO members Turkey and Hungary.
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Turkey ended its blockade in January.
Immediately afterwards, the US government initiated the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
Hungary also signaled the green light a few days ago.
Leading politicians from Orban's Fidesz party had previously claimed that they were “offended” because there had been criticism of the democratic conditions in Hungary from Sweden.
This destroyed bilateral trust.
Sweden's Prime Minister Kristersson must restore this by visiting Budapest.
In addition, they demand that Sweden be treated with the same respect as Turkey, especially since the Swede also traveled to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end his blockade, Fidesz said.
Hungary's parliament elects new head of state
Sweden has so far received the approval of 30 of the 31 NATO members combined.
Even if the parliament in Budapest ratifies it, it still has to be signed by the President.
This is likely to be one of the first official acts of Tamas Sulyok, whom Hungary's parliament will probably elect as head of state for Sweden shortly after ratification.
Sulyok has no opponent and is supported by Fidesz, which has a two-thirds majority in parliament.
He would succeed Katalin Novak, who resigned as head of state two weeks ago because of her involvement in a pedophilia scandal.
The Hungarian ratification must then be formally deposited with the US State Department in Washington.
In the following days, Sweden could be welcomed as the 32nd member of the alliance with a ceremony in which the Swedish flag will be raised in front of NATO headquarters in Brussels.
dpa