Hungary delays Sweden's Nato accession
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party and its coalition partner, the Christian Democratic KDNP, have boycotted a parliamentary session convened by the opposition to vote on Sweden's accession to Nato. After Ankara's yes vote, Hungary is now the last hurdle blocking Sweden's accession - contrary to what the country's leader had promised. Commentators are dismayed.
All about Orbán's ego
Polityka does not believe there are objective reasons for supporting the Hungarian prime minister's stance:
“Orbán is not interested in anything in particular. All he wants is for the Swedes to ask him personally for the favour of ending his obstructionist policy. There could hardly be better proof of political narcissism or stronger confirmation of the thesis that he is the biggest troublemaker in all the Western international institutions.”
Security policy is not just a game
The Hungarian government's behaviour is compromising its credibility, writes former liberal politician Gábor Fodor in Index:
“No justifiable explanation can be given for blocking the Scandinavian state's membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. All we hear is one argument: 'We are offended.' And that's not enough. ... The conflict with Sweden doesn't benefit Hungary, it only harms it. ....It is now also in our interest for Nato to become stronger. Furthermore - and this is the more serious aspect - the government's credibility in the area of military cooperation and security policy has been called into question.”
Now he's annoying the US too
Aktuality.sk observes:
“Whereas Orbán backtracked on EU aid to Ukraine just in time, the situation with the US is completely different. Hungary has not agreed to Sweden's accession to Nato despite Orbán having assured Nato Secretary General Stoltenberg that it would. ... This poses the question of why Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed such unreserved support for Budapest's foreign policy approach during his visit to Budapest. Orbán should not serve as an example for us to follow - only as a deterrent.”