NATO Accession: Hungary for the Finns but Not the Swedes

Chairman of Fidesz Party Viktor Orban (C) takes his oath as Prime Minister of Hungary after he was re-elected for his fourth consecutive term in the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, 16 May 2022. EPA-EFE/Tibor Illyes

The long delay to Sweden and Finland's ratification process by Hungary has caught the international community by surprise. Turkey is the only other holdout. The ratification document was submitted to the Hungarian parliament last summer, but the supermajority of Viktor Orban's Fidesz party - which usually rubber-stamps draft laws within 24 hours - purportedly did not find time to schedule a debate and vote on the NATO enlargement until now.

After months of silence from Hungary's government after the two countries announced in October their intention to join the military alliance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, complaints began emerging about Finnish and Swedish politicians "spreading lies" and "criticising Hungary unfoundedly". The two countries were at the forefront of criticism about Hungary's democratic backsliding and its increasingly authoritarian tendencies.

Fidesz's parliamentary group leader Mate Kocsis said in February that "some Fidesz MPs have serious reservations [about Finland and Sweden's membership]" and "politicians of the two countries insulted Hungary and now they want to ask for a favour". Fidesz MPs were hurriedly despatched to Helsinki and Stockholm last month to address the disagreements.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly urged the Hungarian government not to block the accession process and former Hungarian ministers also pleaded for immediate ratification from the government.

But the government of Viktor Orban, it seems, is only prepared to go halfway. Finland's...