Swedish PM will discuss NATO bid with Orbán

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he will “definitely” have the opportunity to talk to his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán to discuss Sweden’s NATO bid on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, where much is expected of Hungary’s turbulent leader.

The Hungarian prime minister is expected to discuss Sweden’s NATO membership at the summit, which the Hungarian parliament seems to be in no hurry to put on the agenda.

“We are now not far from the beginning of the regular session at the end of February, so I see no reason for an extra session of parliament,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said earlier this week.

According to leading Hungarian politicians, Budapest’s reluctance to vote on Sweden’s NATO bid stems from the fact that the country has been critical of the state of Hungarian democracy, although Hungary has never formally objected to Sweden’s membership.

Since the Turkish parliament approved Sweden’s bid to join NATO last week, it officially left Hungary as the last NATO country that needs to vote on the issue, prolonging Sweden’s excruciating 20-month-long delay, which Stockholm hopes will end very soon.

“We will meet there and have a good chance of exchanging a few words before a meeting later,” Kristersson said at a press conference on Wednesday, adding that he will “definitely” talk to Orbán on the sidelines of the EU Council.

Kristersson also accepted Orbán’s invitation to Budapest after the Turkish vote, but the Swedish Prime minister clarified that he would not negotiate with Orbán on NATO membership, as Sweden had done its part.

“There is no question of any negotiations for Sweden. We are done.” Kristersson said.

All EU leaders will meet in Bruxelles for the EU summit, where member states are expected to agree on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine unless the Hungarian Prime Minister vetoes it as he did at the last European summit in December.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)