Orbán's party to approve Sweden's NATO application
Hungary will approve Sweden's accession to NATO on February 26 (Getty Images)
The ruling party of Hungary, Fidesz, intends to approve Sweden's NATO membership application on February 26, according to the head of the ruling party's faction, Mate Kocsis.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban previously said that the vote is likely to take place at the beginning of the spring session of parliament, possibly as soon as next week.
At the same time, the government's official spokesperson, Zoltan Kovacs, tweeted that "Fidesz parliamentary group leader Máté Kocsis proposes that the Hungarian National Assembly hold a final vote on ratifying Sweden's NATO membership on February 26, pledging Fidesz's support for the motion."
Sweden's NATO membership
Sweden applied for NATO membership in 2022. The only countries delaying the ratification of membership were Türkiye and Hungary. Recently, the Turkish parliament approved Sweden's accession to the alliance.
The final step for Sweden's path to NATO is ratification by the Hungarian parliament.
Sweden's accession is crucial for the alliance to enhance its ability to defend its eastern flank, which doubled in length after Finland's accession last April.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago spurred both Scandinavian countries to apply for NATO membership.
