Special parliamentary session called by opposition on Sweden’s NATO membership lacks quorum

At Monday’s session proposed by the Socialists and backed by the Democratic Coalition (DK), Momentum, Jobbik, Parbeszed and LMP, lawmakers were set to discuss two opposition proposals as well as Sweden’s NATO accession.

Parliament debated the latter last March, but the ratification vote was not held.

Addressing the session, LMP lawmaker Mate Kanasz-Nagy called it “sad” that none of the members of government were in attendance, adding it was “embarrassing” that the governing parties kept on blocking Sweden’s NATO accession without giving a reasonable explanation.

Bence Tordai, the group-leader of Parbeszed, cited Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s pledge that parliament would ratify Sweden’s accession “on the first possible” occasion. He said the government had not been guided “by Hungary’s national interest, but by something else”, adding that “we should not forget who it is in both the EU and NATO who represents the interests of an aggressor [who started] a war”.

Elod Novak, deputy head of Mi Hazank, called for Sweden’s accession to be vetoed, arguing that its accession “would be another step towards a [third] world war and a provocation”.

“Maintaining a neutral buffer zone between Russia and NATO would serve to preserve the fragile balance,” he added.

Koloman Brenner, group leader of Jobbik-Conservatives, said the “sad game” played by the government against Finland and Sweden’s NATO accession went against Hungary’s national interest.

“Viktor Orbán and Fidesz is becoming Putin’s puppet in the eyes of our NATO allies and the European public,” he said, calling the absence of Fidesz lawmakers at the session “shameful and a disgrace”.

Kocsis: Meeting of Hungarian, Swedish PMs ‘necessary’ for NATO bid ratification

Hungary’s parliament could ratify Sweden’s NATO accession “early in the regular spring session”, but a meeting between the Hungarian and Swedish prime ministers in Budapest is necessary for that to happen, the group leader of ruling Fidesz said on Monday.

“If joining [NATO] is important for the Swedes, they will come here, just like they went to Turkiye,” Mate Kocsis said in a Facebook post.