Ties with Sweden ‘terribly wrong’, must improve to join NATO
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230524/orban-relations-with-sweden-awfully-wrong-preclude-it-from-joining-nato-1110551691.html
Orban: Relations with Sweden are ‘terribly bad’, preventing him from joining NATO
Orban: Relations with Sweden are ‘terribly bad’, preventing him from joining NATO
Faced with resistance from Turkey and Hungary, the Swedish government is reportedly considering postponing its NATO membership target to next year.
2023-05-24T06:18+0000
2023-05-24T06:18+0000
2023-05-24T06:18+0000
world
Viktor Orban
jens stoltenberg
Sweden
Hungary
Vilnius
nato
social democrats
Moderate Party (Sweden)
NATO expansion
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Relations between Hungary and Sweden are poor and need to improve before the Nordic state’s NATO bid is approved, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the Qatar Economic Forum. Earlier, Orban’s chief of staff said bilateral relations between Hungary and Sweden had reached an all-time low. He also accused Swedish politicians of “getting into the habit of continually questioning the state of democracy in Hungary”, as well as “insulting Hungarian voters and MPs, and, through them, the whole of Hungary”. when the Hungarian parliament votes on the Swedish application for admission, which must be ratified by all current members. While commenting on Orban’s latest statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated his hope that Sweden’s candidacy would be approved and recommended that it be approved. Among other things, Stoltenberg cited Turkey’s elections and Sweden’s new anti-terrorism laws as factors likely to facilitate the Nordic country’s membership. At the same time, Stoltenberg said the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, offers only “a possibility, not a guarantee.” However, Swedish media have circulated reports that the government’s plan for Sweden’s NATO membership may be about to be postponed. Instead of being approved in Vilnius in July, a possibility of entering NATO only at the bloc’s meeting in Washington next April is now being considered. This has notably drawn criticism from the Social Democrats, a strong party that has dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s, on the lack of a plan B. For their part, the Social Democrats, now in opposition , called for deepening Nordic cooperation. , should NATO membership be delayed. Yet Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom of the moderate Liberal-Conservative Party who leads the current minority government has confirmed that Stockholm’s aim is to join NATO as part of the Vilnius summit. Sweden and its neighbor Finland applied to join NATO last year, citing changes in the European security landscape following the conflict in Ukraine. While Finland became a member, Sweden’s bid was upheld by Turkey and Hungary, with Budapest citing grievances over Stockholm’s criticism of Orban’s record on democracy and the rule of law. right and Ankara accusing Sweden of harboring what it sees as Kurdish terrorists and, more recently, interfering in Turkish elections.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230331/sweden-no-longer-sure-it-will-join-nato-by-july-1108980778.html
Sweden
Hungary
Vilnius
2023
News
en_GB
sweden joining nato, sweden-hungary ties, end of sweden non-alignment, hungarian pm victor orban, joint sweden and finland nato candidacy, swedish-turkish relations, expansion of sweden nato
sweden joining nato, sweden-hungary ties, end of sweden non-alignment, hungarian pm victor orban, joint sweden and finland nato candidacy, swedish-turkish relations, expansion of sweden nato
According to various reports, in the face of resistance from Turkey and Hungary, the Swedish government has considered postponing the aim of joining NATO from the July summit in Vilnius until the bloc’s meeting in Washington next April.
Relations between Hungary and Sweden are poor and need to improve before the Nordic state’s NATO bid is approved, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the Qatar Economic Forum.
“Political relations between Sweden and Hungary are terribly bad, and we need to get better first,” Orban said. “We wouldn’t want to import conflicts into NATO first.”
No date has yet been set for the Hungarian parliament’s vote on Sweden’s membership bid, which must be ratified by all current members.
However, Swedish media have circulated reports that the government’s plan for Sweden’s NATO membership may be about to be postponed. Instead of being approved in Vilnius in July, a possibility of entering NATO only at the bloc’s meeting in Washington next April is now being considered. This has notably drawn criticism from the Social Democrats, a strong party that has dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s, on the lack of a plan B. For their part, the Social Democrats, now in opposition , called for deepening Nordic cooperation. , should NATO membership be delayed.
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