The Hungarian Parliament vote will take place on Monday, according to the country’s ruling Fidesz party.
In a letter to the Speaker of Parliament on Tuesday, the head of the Fidesz parliamentary group, Máté Kocsis, requested that a vote on Sweden’s membership in NATO be scheduled for the first day of the spring session, which starts Monday.
Mr. Kocsis wrote that Fidesz, which has repeatedly blocked a vote on the issue, will choose to support Sweden’s bid for membership in the transatlantic military alliance.
Hungary is the only one of NATO’s 31 current members not to have ratified Sweden’s candidacy. The Hungarian government delayed the process for more than a year and a half, with the admission of a new country to the Alliance requiring unanimous approval.
On Saturday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had already indicated, during his speech to the nation, that the vote was imminent.
“It is good news that our dispute with Sweden is about to be resolved”did he declare. “We are moving towards the ratification of Sweden’s membership in NATO at the start of the spring session of Parliament.”
Reacting to news of the vote, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said in Stockholm that Sweden “naturally welcomed it”.
“This is of course very good news”Mr. Jonson said.
