Sweden’s NATO membership is stalled because the Hungarian parliament has not ratified Sweden’s application. Now the office of the Swedish Prime Minister is looking for a suitable day for the trip to Budapest.
STOCKHOLM Today, the Swedish government gave its foreign policy report to the parliament, which emphasizes Sweden’s readiness for NATO and the importance of NATO membership.
However, the problem is still Hungary, whose parliament has not yet ratified, i.e. confirmed, Sweden’s membership.
The Hungarian Parliament meets next time on February 26.
The Prime Minister Viktor Orban according to the Swedish Prime Minister by Ulf Kristersson it would be good to come to Budapest before then. Orbán justifies the visit invitation by the fact that Kristersson also visited Ankara, Turkey before the Turkish parliamentary discussion.
The Swedish government is now agreeing to the visit, although earlier the message was that they would come to Budapest, but only after Sweden’s application has been approved by the Hungarian Parliament.
Foreign minister Tobias Billström says in an interview with that they are currently looking for a common day in the prime ministers’ calendars. Billström does not want to specify whether the Swedish prime minister will leave before or after the Hungarian parliamentary discussion.
– In part, it is also about the content of the conversations. I want to make it clear that the trip would not include any negotiations, because there is nothing to negotiate. It’s about Hungary starting its own ratification process as soon as possible, Billström underlines.
Billström is also silent on whether Sweden is waiting for help with its NATO application from the newly elected president of Finland From Alexander Stubb, who said during the election exams that he knew the Hungarian Prime Minister well.
– I don’t want to go into more detail about this question. The most important thing is that Finland has got a president who speaks clearly about the challenges of our regions, says Billström.