Hungary ratifies Sweden’s NATO bid, clearing final obstacle to membership
Al Jazeera
Vote by Hungarian parliament ends more than 18 months of delays.
Hungary’s parliament has voted to ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO, bringing an end to more than 18 months of delays that have frustrated the alliance as it seeks to expand in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Monday’s vote, which passed with 188 members for and six against, was a culmination of months of wrangling by Hungary’s allies to persuade its nationalist government to lift its block on Sweden’s membership.
The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban submitted the protocols for approving Sweden’s entry into NATO in July 2022, but the matter had stalled in parliament over opposition by governing party lawmakers.
Unanimous support among all NATO members is required to admit new countries, and Hungary is the last of the alliance’s 31 members to give its backing since Turkey ratified the request last month.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called it “a historic day”.
