Hungary Threatens to Block Sweden's NATO Membership over Video Dispute
Date: 2023-09-15 Author: Dima Zakharov Categories: WORLD
The Background
Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, remarked that the video "certainly doesn't help with your constantly rising request," referring to Sweden's application for NATO membership. He described the clip as "fake news" that suggests "democracy in Hungary has regressed in recent years."
The Controversial Video
The controversial video was produced by the Swedish public educational broadcaster UR. It does not contain anything that would be considered unusual in Europe and has received widespread recognition.
European Response
The European Commission has initiated sanctions against Hungary and withheld billions of euros due to the authoritarian rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The European Parliament has stated that Hungary "is not a full democracy." However, the sudden outrage within Orbán's government arose from a short Swedish film.
Hungary's Reaction
Balázs Orbán, the chief political advisor to the Prime Minister, expressed his concerns, stating, "Shocking educational video approved by the Swedish government with attacks on Hungary! How can we convince Hungarian parliamentarians to support Sweden's NATO membership when our democracy is constantly questioned, insulting our voters?"
According to Gergely Gulyás, a senior deputy from the ruling party, if the film is shown in state schools, it implies that Sweden is doing everything to hinder Hungary from ratifying its NATO membership.
International Implications
The sudden shift in Hungary's stance came after Hungary announced its readiness to ratify the agreement at the NATO summit in July. Agnieszka Vadai, a deputy from the opposition Democratic Coalition party, believes that this abrupt change makes Hungary appear absurd on the international stage. She told EUobserver, "What Szijjártó is doing is not just embarrassing but humiliating for Hungary."
Sweden's NATO Aspiration
Sweden is seeking NATO membership via Finland to safeguard itself against potential Russian aggression following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.
It's worth noting that only Hungary and Turkey have not yet ratified Sweden's NATO membership.
Previously, it was reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had agreed to unblock Sweden's entry into the Alliance.
