Decision for Sweden

Hungary’s president signs NATO membership

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok (archive photo)(Bild: AP)

Hungary's new President Tamás Sulyok signed the law on Sweden's NATO membership on Tuesday. This gives the northern European country the green light to join the Western military alliance.

Hungary's government had hesitated for a long time, arguing, among other things, with Sweden's treatment of the PKK, which is classified as a terrorist organization in Turkey. This was later compounded by the alleged "insulting behavior" of Swedish politicians and the media towards the Hungarian leadership.

On February 26, the government in Hungary finally approved the country's accession to NATO. Sweden and Finland had already applied for membership of the defense alliance in May 2022. The government in Turkey also had to fight for ratification.

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok (archive photo)(Bild: AP)

First official act
The signature of conservative lawyer Tamás Sulyok was his first official act. He was elected last week with a two-thirds parliamentary majority of the right-wing nationalist governing party Fidesz. He succeeds Katalin Novák, who resigned as president after she pardoned a man who had been convicted of aiding and abetting the sexual abuse of minors.

The signature must now be published in the Hungarian Official Gazette and then sent from Budapest to the US State Department in Washington. Finland could join the military alliance as early as April 2023.