A meeting between Hungarian and Swedish parliamentary delegations could take place in a week or two to clarify MPs’ concerns about the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó ensured his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billström that the Hungarian government supports Sweden’s accession to NATO.
“The government’s support is based on principle and is clear, but the position of the Fidesz and KDNP groups, which have a two-thirds majority in parliament, is much less clear,” Szijjártó said after their meeting in Stockholm on Monday.
He stressed that there were a number of doubts among the parliamentary groups about the accession of Sweden and to some extent, Finland to NATO. Some of these concerns relate to defense policy and technical issues, which can be resolved through rational debate, but political concerns must be addressed on a political basis, Szijjártó said.
According to the minister, some MEPs were right to ask
“How a country can expect a favor from us if its politicians have been constantly and consistently spreading lies about Hungary.”
“How can you expect quick, fair, and correct decision-making when we have been hearing constantly in the past that there is no democracy in Hungary, that the rule of law is not guaranteed in Hungary, that there is no freedom of the media, that the independence of the judiciary is not guaranteed?”, he asked.
“These are obviously all lies and are based on a preconception that is not true,” Szijjártó stressed, adding that Hungarian MEPs are offended that the legitimacy of their election is also being questioned by accusations about the state of democracy and that discourse is needed to clarify the matter.
According to Szijjártó, his Swedish counterpart welcomed the fact that they can “discuss these difficult and complex issues frankly, and promised to intervene to ensure that an exchange of views between the two parliaments can take place as soon as possible.”
Source : Hungary today
