Hungarian Parliament to Vote on Sweden's NATO Membership on 26th... Approval Expected

The Hungarian Parliament will vote next week on Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On the 23rd of last month (local time), the Turkish Parliament held a plenary session and approved the ratification bill for Sweden's NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) membership. As a result, only the ratification by the Hungarian Parliament remains for Sweden's NATO accession.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 20th (local time), major foreign media including Bloomberg reported that Hungary's ruling party Fidesz has placed the ratification vote on the agenda for the spring session starting on the 26th. Since the ruling party controls the parliament, it is highly likely to pass unless there are major variables.

Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n announced that the ratification would be processed at the start of the spring parliamentary session. In his state of the nation address on the 17th, Prime Minister Orb?n stated, "We have taken important measures to restore trust together with Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson," revealing plans for parliamentary approval.

Sweden, about three months after the outbreak of the Ukraine war in May 2022, abandoned its decades-long military neutrality and applied for NATO membership. However, due to objections from T?rkiye and Hungary, the requirement for unanimous ratification was not met, delaying the accession.

Last month, T?rkiye's parliament processed the ratification, leaving only Hungary's approval pending. According to the Swedish government, Prime Minister Kristersson plans to visit Budapest, Hungary on the 23rd, three days before the parliamentary vote, to discuss "defense and security policy cooperation" with Prime Minister Orb?n. Kristersson is expected to focus on securing assurances that Hungary will not reverse its position again.

Meanwhile, Sweden announced an additional military aid package to Ukraine worth 7.1 billion kronor (approximately 912.5 billion KRW), consisting of artillery shells, air defense systems, and more. This is Sweden's 15th military aid package since the outbreak of the Ukraine war and also the largest in scale. Swedish Defense Minister P?l Jonson emphasized, "The situation in Ukraine is difficult. Aid is essential for Sweden's long-term security guarantees as well."