BUDAPEST, March 14 (Reuters) – Members of Hungary’s ruling party Fidesz want to postpone next week’s parliamentary session, which could lead to another delay in the ratification of Finland and Sweden’s membership. to NATO.
A lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Coalition party, Agnes Vadai, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that she had received a letter from Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen informing her that Fidesz and the People’s Party Christian Democrats wanted to postpone the session which should have started next Monday.
Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, confirmed to Reuters that parliament would not hold a session next week due to “a delay in negotiations with Brussels”. Hungary is mired in a dispute with the European Commission over the release of EU funds.
“Fidesz will decide on the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO after a parliamentary delegation (which visited the two countries) reports on this visit”, declared the service of party press.
Stockholm and Helsinki asked last year to join NATO in a strategic reversal following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 30 members of NATO must ratify their requests but Hungary and Turkey are delaying their approval.
Hungary’s ratification process has been stalled in parliament since July. In February, Viktor Orban accused Finland and Sweden of spreading “brazen lies” about the health of democracy and the rule of law in Hungary.
Parliament’s press service declined to comment.
Parliament could meet again only on March 27.
(Report Krisztina Than; French version Lina Golovnya, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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