Hungary Parl't Ratifies Finland Bid, Only Turkey Left To Approve

The Hungarian National Assembly ratified Finland's bid to join NATO on the evening of 27 March, leaving only Turkey left to approve the Finnish accession before the Nordic nation becomes a fully-fledged member of the alliance.

• Hungarian lawmakers approved Finland's accession with 182 members voting in favour, with just six from the right-wing nationalist Our Homeland Movement against, and none abstaining.
• This just leaves Turkey as the last of 30 NATO members to approve Finland's membership. The Turkish Grand National Assembly's foreign affairs committee has approved the accession, leaving only a vote in the main plenary to finish the process. A date has not been set, but a vote is expected by week-end.
• The accession of Finland to NATO will mark a significant shift in the European security outlook. NATO's land border with Russia will rise immediately from 752.4 miles at present to 1,582.4 miles.
• There is domestic debate in Finland as to whether the country should play host to permanent NATO bases, with opinion polling in early 2023 showing 48% opposed, 39% in favour, and 13% unsure.