After Turkey, Hungary. It has never been so difficult for a country to join NATO. That hasn't happened yet: Fidesz wanted to vote on the timing of the visit, but Orbán asked for more time for negotiations.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson is in Hungary's capital Budapest this Friday – and the topic of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of defense and security is back on the agenda. It is equivalent to claiming membership in NATO. Hungary is 'overselling' lifting its veto on Sweden's entry into the Atlantic alliance – and the remaining member states are uncomfortable with the indecision Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán maintains.
Turkey's veto, for analysts, seemed too easy to overcome, but the Ankara parliament has already spoken in favor, the Budapest executive remains undecided – even though the EU has already done its part: succumbing to Hungarian 'blackmail'. ', if there is any problem with sending public funds to the country (always evidence of democratic disharmony and corruption in monetary management, with traditional accusations), the Swedes are out of NATO's doors.
Analysts say Hungary is preparing to take over the presidency of the Union Council (between next July and December) and a meeting between the two prime ministers, which analysts say Orbán wants to wait for that moment to create a situation in which Hungary emerges. The 'photograph' is good. But NATO has other priorities — Sweden and Ukraine, too — so Hungary's positions aren't exactly happy.
But this may be an outdated issue. During the meeting, the two will review the strategic agenda facing the EU, Prime Minister's Spokesman Bertalan Havasi was quoted as saying by local newspapers. At a press conference this Thursday after a meeting of the Fidesz-KDNP parliamentary group, its leader (from Orbán's party) Máté Kocsis said that within the government, the political formation managed to silence those who opposed Sweden's accession. NATO
He also said that the visit of the Swedish Prime Minister and the initial talks held in recent days have taken the relations between the two countries “in the right direction”. Following the Swedish Prime Minister's announcement that he would travel to Budapest, the head of the Fidesz parliamentary group wrote to the Speaker of Parliament to put a vote on the recognition of Sweden's membership in NATO on the agenda.
However, Orbán has some pending military issues with the Swedes, so he asked the parliamentary committee to give him time for negotiations. It is unclear exactly what will be discussed in these agreements. In other words, the Hungarian agreement on Sweden's entry into NATO will only be welcomed by the Atlantic Alliance when it is signed. Until then, just hang in there and trust that things will turn out well.