Hungarian Parliament approves Finland’s NATO bid

OAN Brooke Mallory
UPDATED 12:50 PM – Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Finland has finally received approval to join NATO from the Hungarian Parliament, moving the country one step closer to becoming a member of the Western military alliance. The vote, which was postponed several times by Hungary’s ruling party, was finally approved with 182 in favor and six opposing votes, although the delay caused agitation among NATO allies and the European Union.

The delay in voting was not only a concern for Finland, but also for Sweden’s NATO membership. Members of Hungary’s ruling party stated that they would wait until Stockholm resolved any outstanding issues before voting. Finland and Sweden jointly submitted an application for membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, Turkey’s complaints that Stockholm is too lenient on organizations it considers to be terrorist, and claims that Hungarian politicians have been told “blatant lies” regarding the state of Hungary’s democracy have created uncertainty surrounding Sweden’s application.

The delay in Hungary was an attempt to persuade both Sweden and Finland to support the release of EU funds designated for Budapest that have been held back due to alleged violations of the bloc’s legal standards. Hungary will wait until Turkey determines whether or not to support Sweden’s NATO membership before taking action.

Of the 30 NATO countries, Turkey is now the only nation that has not confirmed Finland’s entry. To join the alliance, a new member must receive the support of the entire alliance, but Finland’s application was approved by Turkey’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs committee last week. A vote on membership is anticipated to take place prior to Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14th.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long expressed his country’s backing for NATO expansion, although his government claims that Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids have prompted hesitation among ruling party lawmakers who worry about the state of Hungary’s democracy. Despite criticisms over democratic and cultural issues, Orban’s administration remains opposed to threats from Russia and supports NATO’s buildup against the country.

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