Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hailed it “a historic day”. This Hungarian ratification paves the way for Sweden’s entry into the Atlantic Alliance.
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The Hungarian Parliament ratified, on Monday February 26, Sweden’s accession to NATO, the final step for the Nordic country wishing to join the Atlantic Alliance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The candidacy of Stockholm was approved by an overwhelming majority of deputies (188 votes out of 199 seats). Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed “a historic day”. This ratification paves the way for Sweden to join the Atlantic Alliance, almost two years after beginning the accession process. “Sweden is ready to assume its responsibilities regarding Euro-Atlantic security“, he wrote on X.
Sweden’s membership in NATO will make the Atlantic Alliance “stronger”said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “Sweden’s entry into NATO will strengthen Hungary’s security”, also estimated Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban. The latter had certainly given his agreement in principle a long time ago but before completing the process, he demanded “respect” from Stockholm, after years of “denigration” of his policy. To seal this new cooperation, Hungary announced on Friday the purchase of four combat aircraft from Sweden to strengthen its current fleet of 14 Gripen aircraft.
The end of two centuries of neutrality
Sweden’s accession protocol, which requires unanimity of the members of the Atlantic Alliance, had been pending since May 2022. Once the approval of the Hungarian Parliament has been received, the law should be promulgated by the president in the coming days. Sweden will then be able to submit its “instrument of accession” in Washington, in accordance with the NATO treaty, to become its 32nd member. In the case of Finland, for example, Ankara gave the green light on March 30, 2023 and this Nordic country submitted the document on April 4, therefore integrating into the Alliance five days after the Turkish vote.
Sweden announced its candidacy in the wake of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, at the same time as Finland. This Scandinavian kingdom has thus broken with its policy of neutrality adopted after the end of the Napoleonic wars in the 19th century, then of military non-alignment since the end of the Cold War.
