Hungary calls for dialogue with Sweden

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invites Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to visit Budapest for discussions on Sweden’s NATO accession bid

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban extended an invitation on Tuesday to his Swedish counterpart, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, inviting him to visit Budapest for discussions on Sweden’s NATO accession bid.

The approval of Hungary and Türkiye is still pending for Sweden’s bid to join the Western defense alliance, with Türkiye’s parliament anticipated to vote on the matter later this week in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Orban, expressing the invitation on X (formerly Twitter), stated, “Today I sent an invitation letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for a visit to Hungary to negotiate on Sweden’s NATO accession.”

While Türkiye’s ratification would mark a significant step, Hungary remains the sole holdout. Budapest has frequently criticized what it perceives as Stockholm’s “openly hostile attitude,” accusing Swedish representatives of consistently criticizing Hungary on rule-of-law issues.

In the previous week, Hungary had reproached Sweden for not taking proactive measures to strengthen bilateral relations. Gergely Gulyas, Orban’s chief of staff, suggested that the Swedish government should engage in dialogue to address the concerns of the Hungarian parliament.

Despite Hungary’s assurance of supporting Sweden’s NATO bid, the government has faced criticism for delaying a parliamentary vote on the matter. The Hungarian Socialist Party, in a statement on Tuesday, called on Orban to “stop this stupid, harmful, and unnecessary charade.” Orban, in September, had downplayed the urgency of ratifying Sweden’s NATO bid, emphasizing the need for “respect” from the Nordic country, which shares EU membership with Hungary.

Source: AFP