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The Parliament of Hungary ratifies Finland's membership in NATO

2023-03-28 08:26:20Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The Parliament of Hungary ratifies Finland's membership in NATO

 Hungary's parliament approved Finland's application for NATO membership on Monday, ending months of delays and bringing the Nordic country one step closer to becoming a member of the Western military alliance.

The vote, with 182 votes in favor and six against, came after the Hungarian government had worried NATO and European Union allies for months by postponing the vote until almost all other alliance countries had voted to ratify Finland's membership.

While Hungary's ratification was greeted with relief in Helsinki and elsewhere, Sweden's NATO entry remains pending. Officials in Hungary's ruling party have said they will wait for Stockholm to clear up remaining disagreements before voting on ratification. Finland and Sweden jointly applied for NATO membership after Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022.

Adding to the uncertainty about Sweden's candidacy are Turkey's objections amid accusations that Stockholm is too soft on groups it considers terrorist organizations.

Agnes Vadai, a lawmaker with Hungary's opposition Democratic Coalition party, said on Monday that the ruling Fidesz party had used "pretexts" to delay ratification for both countries and that continued impasse could push back a vote for Sweden in early April. or even May.

"There is no real reason not to support these countries," Ms. Vadai, a former secretary of state in Hungary's defense ministry, told the Associated Press news agency. "Accession to NATO should not be a matter of personal feelings and blackmail".

Turkey is now the only one of the 30 NATO member states that has not ratified Finland's membership. To accept a new member country in the alliance requires complete unanimity.

However, Turkey's parliamentary committee on foreign affairs last week approved Finland's application for NATO membership, and a parliamentary vote is expected to be held ahead of Turkey's May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections.

While Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long signaled his country's support for NATO expansion, his government has claimed that Swedish and Finnish politicians have told "outright lies" about the state of Hungarian democracy, which has leaving some lawmakers of the ruling party uncertain whether they should support the demands for NATO membership.

In an interview with the Associated Press news agency at the United Nations on Friday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the West's continued criticism of Hungary on democracy and cultural issues had made its government reluctant to offer support to practical issues, especially for increasing NATO's capacity vis-à-vis Russia.

The European Union, which includes 21 NATO countries, has for years accused Mr Orban's government of cracking down on media freedom and the rights of members of the LGBTQ community, an entrenched culture of official corruption and the establishment of state institutions. serving the interests of the ruling Fidesz party.

Some Hungarian opposition politicians and analysts believe the delay in ratification was intended to encourage Sweden and Finland to support the release of billions of euros in EU funds meant for Budapest, which have been frozen due to allegations of breach of standards. of the union for the rule of law.

But Samuel Agoston Mraz, director of the pro-government Nezopont Intezet center in Budapest, said Hungary will not make a decision about Sweden until Turkey decides whether to approve the country's application for NATO membership.

Mr. Mraz said that Hungary "does not want to make decisions against the Turks" and that it seeks guarantees from Stockholm for the improvement of bilateral relations.

"Hungary is a supporter of a united NATO. It does not believe in a Turkey against all other member countries," he said./VOA


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