Hungary remains alone in holding up Stockholm’s accession despite PM’s promises not to be last to ratify

Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has boycotted a session of parliament called by the opposition to ratify Sweden’s Nato membership, even as a group of western ambassadors arrived in the building to urge a vote.

For months, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, repeatedly promised his counterparts within Nato that the country would not be last to sign off on Sweden’s membership.

But Orbán reneged on the pledge when Turkey ratified the Swedish bid last month, leaving Hungary alone holding up Stockholm’s accession.

The Hungarian leader then publicly promised Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, that he would urge parliament to “conclude the ratification at the first possible opportunity” – only to also abandon that pledge by not showing up to a session initiated by the country’s opposition with the aim of voting on Sweden’s accession.

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  • DeebsterEnglish
    4•10 months ago

    Thanks, that’s what I assumed. So the ratification terms must have to include what seems to be called a “quorum” clause:

    lawmakers from the ruling Fidesz party boycotted the session, meaning it lacked quorum and the ratification will be further delayed.

    – Reuters

    • @zombyreagan@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7•10 months ago

      It’s not so much that the nato treaty required quorum, it’s that any/most legislatures require a certain amount of members present in able to hold a vote. Imagine if you only needed one guy to show up to be able to hold a vote, there could be a lot of shenanigans