Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The Hungarian parliament is preparing to vote on Finland and Sweden’s NATO bids, with parliamentary discussions to start next week.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán noted on Friday that parliamentary groups need to discuss the planned expansion of NATO before MPs vote on the ratification, according to Reuters reporting.
In an interview with public radio, Orbán pointed out that he called on his party to support Finland and Sweden’s bids, but noted that some MPs were “not very enthusiastic” about the proposal and want to discuss it further.
The Hungarian parliament is preparing to vote on the matter in early March, with Finland and Sweden’s bids requiring the approval of all 30 NATO members.
Orbán stressed that Hungary supports the NATO expansion plan, but stressed the importance of hearing out Turkey and its concerns about Sweden’s bid. “Regarding Turkey, they are also our allies, and therefore we need to hear their voice,” he pointed out.
“We need to pay attention to Turkey as in the end, the entire process will stall… unless there is a solution to Turkey’s problem, then the expansion could fail,” Orbán warned.
Last week, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock called on Hungary and Turkey to ratify Finland and Sweden’s NATO bids, adding that she expects all alliance members to do so “without further delay.”
Concerns of Hungarian MPs
According to Orbán, some ruling party MPs are concerned over potential geopolitical risks associated with Finland’s accession to NATO, noting that the move would extend the alliance’s border with Russia by more than 1,000 km.
Other MPs expressed concern over Finland and Sweden’s claims about the state of the rule of law and democracy in Hungary, which Orbán described as “outright lies.” However, he stressed that Hungary has a moral obligation to support the planned expansion of NATO.
Orbán noted that he falls “into the camp of those urging calm” in the debate on expansion of NATO. “I understand, moreover, I agree with the view of the parliamentary group that not all is well,” he added and concluded “however, I asked them that in the end, it should be clear that in principle we support Sweden and Finland’s NATO entry.”
