Orbán’s party boycotts a session of Hungary’s parliament to further stall Sweden’s bid to join NATO

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Lawmakers from the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have boycotted an emergency session of parliament where a vote was scheduled to place Sweden’s bid to join NATO on the legislative agenda. The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in the Hungarian parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. Monday’s session in parliament was supported by six opposition parties, but Fidesz lawmakers did not attend, scuttling the attempt to place a vote on the legislature’s schedule. Hungary is the only of the military alliance’s 31 members not to have approved Sweden’s bid. Hungary’s allies have pressured the nationalist government to hold a vote without delay.