The confirmation of Sweden’s NATO entry has been approved by Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament Sandor Lezsak, who also sent the legislation to the president’s office for promulgation, according to vote records on the parliament website last Saturday.
The final obstacle to Sweden’s historic move of joining NATO was cleared by lawmakers on February 26, marking the end of the Nordic nation’s two-century neutrality during the Cold War.
After months of waiting, the Hungarian vote completed Sweden’s security policy pivot. Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister of Sweden, visited Hungary and the two nations inked an arms contract.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government has faced pressure from NATO allies to fall in line and seal Sweden’s accession to the alliance. Hungary’s president now has up to five days to promulgate the legislation.
Stockholm abandoned its non-alignment policy for greater safety within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
