US envoy piles pressure on Orban to ratify Sweden’s NATO entry

The U.S. envoy to Budapest along with ambassadors from some other NATO allies including Denmark and Poland attended the Hungarian parliament on Monday in a surprise show of pressure on Budapest to approve Sweden’s bid to join the alliance.

The extraordinary meeting of parliament was called by the opposition to vote on ratification on Monday, but lawmakers from his ruling Fidesz party went ahead with their boycott of the session and now ratification will be further delayed.

Hungary is the only NATO country not to ratify Stockholm’s membership application, a process that requires the backing of all members, souring relations with the United States and raising concerns among its allies.

“Its extremely unpleasant that up to today, they (Fidesz) have been blocking Sweden’s NATO accession,” Mate Kanasz-Nagy, lawmaker of the opposition LMP party told parliament, his words echoing in the half-empty room as the envoys sat in the public gallery.

“He (Orban) wants to favour (Russian President) Putin, thus breaking the unity of NATO,” Agnes Vadai, lawmaker of the opposition Democratic Coalition said.

via Reuters