Hungary has once again delayed a vote on NATO enlargement after Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s deputy scrapped legislative sessions for next week, according to an opposition lawmaker.
(Bloomberg) — Hungary has once again delayed a vote on NATO enlargement after Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s deputy scrapped legislative sessions for next week, according to an opposition lawmaker.
Orban’s government, one of only two holdouts along with Turkey in the 30-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization that have yet to approve Finland and Sweden’s accession, had said that it was going to hold the ratification vote the week of March 20, following months of foot-dragging.
Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen on Tuesday canceled the legislative sessions for next week, opposition lawmaker Agnes Vadai said on her Facebook page. HVG news website, which first reported the delay, said that meant that the ratification vote may be delayed until the week of March 27 or April 3.
Vadai cited a letter she had received from Semjen that said the delay was due to the need for further talks with the European Union about unblocking Hungary’s funding over graft and rule of law concerns, according to the news website. Orban’s government for months denied that it was using NATO enlargement as leverage in EU fund talks.
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