The speaker of the Hungarian parliament stated late on Sunday night on local television that the country is unsure whether or not it is required to provide its approval to Sweden’s application to join NATO, which may indicate that the process may be delayed even more.

Since July of 2022, the ratification of Hungary has been stalled in parliament due to worries of criticism from Swedish legislators regarding Hungary’s democratic backsliding.

Laszlo Kover, the speaker of the Hungarian parliament and a key legislator for the Fidesz party, which is now in power, stated to HirTV that “it is not sure we need to approve this bid” about Sweden.
His comments come after Hungary’s foreign minister penned a letter to his Swedish colleague last week, in which he once again voiced his worries about what he called “biased and unfair” claims made by some Swedish lawmakers against the Hungarian government. His statements follow in the footsteps of that letter.

Last year, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden submitted its membership application to NATO, and most alliance members immediately confirmed the application.

Turkey and Hungary, on the other hand, have not yet ratified Sweden’s bid for membership, and both countries have stated that they are closely coordinating their stance on the issue.

Later this month, Hungary’s parliamentary session will resume. However, it is still unclear whether or not a discussion and vote on the ratification of the Swedish treaty will be on the agenda.