Sweden’s Prime Minister to visit Hungary on Friday
February 21st, 2024A pro-government commentator suggests that Hungary has kept Sweden waiting for the ratification of its bid for NATO membership as a reaction to the harm caused by sanctions against Hungary which were supported by Sweden.
In Mandiner, Mátyás Kohán sees the latest developments as proof that Hungary had valid reasons for repeatedly postponing the vote on Sweden’s accession to NATO. He dismisses accusations by opponents that the government was simply doing a favour to Russia by hindering Sweden’s NATO membership. In reality, he suggests, Swedish officials just criticised Hungary at first, and accused it of rule of law infringements, but when EU funds were frozen, causing tangible damage to Hungarians, the government had no choice but to respond, with the limited resources at the disposal of a country of Hungary’s size, he adds. Finally, Kohán concludes, Sweden’s leaders understood this. The Prime Minister will pay a visit to Hungary, while the Hungarian side will buy new Gripen fighter planes and other military equipment. The two countries, as equal members of the club of countries that fulfil the required two percent of GDP – the military spending target of NATO members – he writes, will from now on hopefully agree to ‘protect, rather than harm each other’s interests’.