unsaveSave
expand-left
full screen Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the foreground. Archive image. Photo: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP/TT
Hungary’s parliament can today vote on Sweden’s NATO application.
But something yes is not expected. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s members are not even going to show up. And the question of whether Prime Minister Kristersson will go to Budapest hangs in the air.
The opposition collected enough signatures to call the parliament extra today, a meeting that starts at 1 p.m. Sweden’s NATO application is then on the agenda.
Several government representatives have said they see no reason for an extra session, such as Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. Parliament’s regular work after the winter break starts on February 26, so it is therefore unnecessary to meet before then, he has said.
A vote is expected today, but only on the agenda. A vote on NATO membership itself is unlikely to happen, according to the opposition.
Does not appear
The reason is that the governing party Fidesz and the cooperation party KDNP do not intend to show up, the parliament will therefore not have enough members in place to be decisive. According to the Hungarian site HirTV, today the government is not in Budapest, but has a meeting outside the city of Sopron near the Austrian border.
Recently, Ulf Kristersson (M) was invited by Viktor Orbán to visit Budapest. The question now is whether the visit should take place before or after the actual ratification. Kristersson has said that the natural thing would be to come to Budapest after Hungary has said yes. But the message from the Hungarian side is clear – they would prefer to see Kristersson in Budapest before they press the yes button.
Among others, Péter Szijjártó has said that a visit before the decision would be more correct – especially since Kristersson went to Turkey to get them to say yes to Sweden.
“The ball is now in your court,” according to government spokesman Zoltán Kovács.
Press from the USA
TT has contacted Ulf Kristersson for a comment.
At the same time, the US is trying to pressure Hungary. The US embassy in the country sent out a statement on Friday, reminding Orbán’s words that Hungary should ratify Sweden “at the first possible opportunity”.
“Monday’s session is an opportunity to do that,” writes the embassy.