Hungary has joined Turkey in adding more hurdles to Sweden’s Nato bid, with Budapest expected to extract further concessions from its western allies before ratifying the expansion of the military alliance.
Hungary, which has for a year blocked Sweden’s bid to join NATO and appeared to definitively ruined itlast week, is just holding out for a little bit of obeisance—but will ultimately ratify what will be the trans-Atlantic alliance’s 32nd member, a top Hungarian diplomat said over the weekend.
After Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto sent a letter to his Swedish counterpart last week that seemed to threaten Stockholm’s bid to join the 31-nation alliance unless Sweden muzzled opposition politicians criticizing Hungary’s democratic backsliding, Hungarian officials insisted that the ratification was still on track—if they get a little respect.
This“ lack of respect “ is coming from what Hungary believes is hate from the EU since they have a problem with their parliament which is dominated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing Fidesz party. The European Parliament has gone as far as to say that Hungary can no longer be considered a full democracy, calling out the erosion of the judiciary and electoral system during Orban’s 13-year rule.
Turkey is also on board with halting Sweden’s membership but may look kindly upon it if the Biden administration clears a $20 billion F-16 deal which was promised to them for agreeing to Sweden’s approval in the first place.
Finland is also looking to join NATO, the once neutral countries changed their minds ever since Russia’s invasion / Special military operation (whatever you want to call it) of Ukraine.