Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that more parliamentary group talks are needed before lawmakers vote on Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bids, which they will begin debating on Wednesday.
After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Sweden and Finland applied to join the transatlantic defence pact, but Sweden was met with unexpected opposition from Turkey for harbouring what Ankara considers terrorists.
Speaking on public radio, Orban said he had asked members of his nationalist Fidesz party to support the NATO expansion. He added, however, that some deputies were ‘not very enthusiastic’ and wanted more time for discussion.
Press representatives for Fidesz did not respond to emails asking about the potential timing and make-up of any bilateral meetings to address the concerns of the ruling party, which only became public this week after the ratification process became bogged down in parliament in July.
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