At the beginning of the discussion, the state secretary appealed to the MPs to make a decision on the NATO issue with common sense instead of emotion. However, he himself called Sweden and Finland unfair.
The Hungarian Parliament has finally started the ratification process for Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership.
Along with Turkey, Hungary is the only NATO country that has not yet accepted membership. Hungary has repeatedly postponed the case.
When the parliament started discussing the matter this afternoon, only twenty MPs had bothered to attend. There are 199 MPs in total.
Hungary’s parliament is scheduled to vote on ratification later this month.
At the beginning of the process, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Peter Sztáray urged MPs to give their support for the fastest possible ratification of Finland’s and Sweden’s membership.
However, in his speech, he accused Finland and Sweden of unfair behavior towards Hungary.
According to Sztáray, NATO expansion strengthens the defense alliance and also benefits Hungary. In his opinion, the expansion decision should therefore be made with common sense instead of emotions.
The opposition resented the delay
A lot of long and meandering speeches were held in the almost empty meeting hall, where emotions sometimes rose to the surface. Some of the speakers were disgusted by the criticism presented in Finland and Sweden regarding Hungary’s democracy problems and the country’s EU subsidies.
A representative of the ruling party Fidesz Mihály Ballan think that Sweden and Finland apply double standards to Hungary.
Immediately Világgazdaság magazine (you will switch to another service) according to a representative of the Fidesz support party KDNP Hajnalka Juhász read aloud some Finnish and Swedish politicians’ comments about Hungary.
– Political disputes must be resolved, because malicious political attacks have no place among allies, demanded the representative of KDNP Lőrinc Nacsa.
In the speeches of the opposition members of parliament, the government’s delay in NATO ratification and the connection of the matter to the hurt from the comments made in Sweden and Finland were frowned upon.
The Hungarian government has previously announced that it will send delegations to Finland and Sweden to discuss issues affecting Hungary.
Member of Parliament belonging to the opposition Democratic coalition Ágnes Vadai did not give much value to such a government delegation in his commentary.
– They can take anyone into it. Although by Steven Seagal and Mickey Mouse, Vadai said the leftist Népszava magazine (you switch to another service) by.
Sources: Reuters, AFP