Opp. Calls For Emergency Parl't Session To Approve Sweden NATO Bid

Hungary's opposition parties have submitted a motion calling for the National Assembly to be reconvened for an emergency session on 5 February in order to ratify Sweden's NATO accession. Zita Gurmai, a deputy from the centre-left Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), said to Reuters that "Our motion has been sent to the speaker... Now the question is whether 135 men [the cohort of Fidesz-KDNP lawmakers] will be brave enough to show up,". Parliament speaker Laszlo Kover has stated that there is no urgency on the issue, and that opposition efforts will fail. This is despite Sweden, NATO and other NATO member states claiming there is significant urgency in getting Sweden's accession ratified.

• PM Viktor Orban is already under significant pressure from EU partners to drop objections to EUR50bn in funding to Ukraine over the next three years. The FT reportedthat the Union could seek to pressure Orban through the Hungarian economy if he does not relent on the issue.
• The gov't has sought to blame parliament and Fidesz lawmakers on the slow ratification of Sweden's NATO bid. However, given the iron grip that Orban is seen to hold over Fidesz many observers have given this excuse short shrift. Indeed, Orban's relatively close relations with Moscow (in comparison to other NATO or EU members) has been raised as a potential reason behind Hungary's foot-dragging on the issue.