A winding road to NATO may soon be over.
Or delay until mid-December.
But even then, it doesn’t have to be pat and clear for Sweden.
– We have three parliamentary sessions left this year, the last of which begins on December 11. Then the issue will be discussed – hopefully, says David Bedö, opposition politician in Hungary.
On Monday, Turkish President Erdogan announced that he had submitted the Swedish NATO application to parliament for ratification.
A big step on the way to Swedish NATO membership – but there is still a long way to go before becoming a full member of the defense alliance and any date for when that can happen is still unclear.
The opposition politician: Haven’t received any explanation
Turkey and Hungary continue to stand in the way, where the latter country, ruled by the controversial Viktor Orban, has previously said that it does not want to be the last to ratify Sweden.
David Bedö, Member of Parliament for the Hungarian opposition party Momentum, believes that it is clear that Hungary is only waiting for Turkey to take a position on the issue. According to him, no explanation has been given as to why the process is being delayed.
– Today we proposed that we raise the issue in parliament, just as we have done many times before. But as usual it was voted down, he says in an interview with TV4 Nyheterna.
“Is there some kind of under-the-table settlement”
Bedö believes that Hungary is doing the Turkish government and Erdogan a favor by constantly postponing the issue – something that in no way favors Hungarian interests, according to him.
– We don’t know why they act the way they do. My theory is that there is some kind of under-the-table deal between the governments of Turkey and Hungary, but I don’t know exactly what it consists of, says Bedö.
Despite the fact that the process has been delayed countless times, Bedö still believes there is a lightening in sight. In closed rooms with representatives from the ruling side of parliament, he has received signals that they are only waiting for a Turkish decision.
Bedö believes that the parliament will vote on Swedish membership in early or mid-November. But do not rule out that it may take until December 11 – or even later.
– We have a parliamentary session that starts on November 6, one that starts on November 20 and then we have the last one of the year on December 11. It will happen during one of these occasions – hopefully, he says.