The Hungarian parliament’s house committee rejected scheduling a vote on Sweden’s NATO membership ratification for next week.
Lawmakers from the ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat parties did not support including the vote on the agenda for the upcoming plenary session.
Sweden aims to formalize its NATO accession at the alliance’s summit in July, but both Turkey and Hungary have been blocking the ratification process.
The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) party plans to propose the vote again during the full session of parliament on Monday.
Fidesz is expected to decide the vote’s scheduling based on Turkey’s stance.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s alignment with Turkish President Erdogan is criticized for ignoring Hungarian sovereignty and fracturing NATO’s unity.
The ratification is unlikely to happen before the NATO summit.
The agenda for the next session will be announced later, and no response has been received from the government or the Foreign Ministry.
Orban expressed concerns about Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership aspirations in February, accusing both countries of spreading false information about Hungary’s democracy and the rule of law.
Turkish President Erdogan reiterated that Sweden must stop protests by supporters of the PKK to gain approval for joining NATO.
NATO allies are intensifying efforts to persuade Turkey to lift its opposition to Sweden’s accession, but the outcome before the Lithuania summit remains unclear.
Sweden’s Journey Towards NATO Membership
On May 16, 2022, the Swedish Government, with broad support in the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament), decided to apply for NATO membership.
On July 5, 2022, all NATO member countries signed the Accession Protocol for Sweden, granting Sweden the status of an invitee country until all NATO countries ratify its membership application.
Sweden is now undergoing a gradual integration process into NATO’s political and military structures.
On March 8, 2023, the Swedish Government submitted the bill on Sweden’s NATO membership to the Riksdag for approval.
On March 22, 2023, the Riksdag officially approved Sweden’s accession to NATO, solidifying its path to becoming a full member of the alliance.