There is no Hungarian-Turkish deal relating to the ratification of Sweden’s bid for NATO membership as it would be completely in the hands of Hungarian parliament to make a decision of when to vote on this, Prime Minister Viktor Orban revealed a news briefing on Thursday. Orban revealed there was no profound wish among governing party lawmakers in Budapest to approve Sweden’s bid. Sweden’s application has been held up by Turkey and Hungary’s refusal to help it. Orban said in September that Hungary was in no rush to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession, leading to an exceeding delay in a process that has not been able to move in parliament since previous year.
“There is no Hungarian-Turkish agreement” on Sweden’s NATO bid, he said, adding that approval “will be decided only by Hungarian parliament…when lawmakers decide the time has come for it. They don’t have a profound interest to make this decision.” Budapest has recognised what it called undue allegations by Swedish politicians that it had eroded democratic rights as a reason for the delay in approving Sweden’s bid. Hungary’s parliament, presently is on a winter break, would be most probably starting back its work in the middle of month February.