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☆ Sweden-Hungary ties at low point, Orban aide says, amid Stockholm NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Welcoming Finland's entry, U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Turkey and Hungary to conclude their ratification processes for Sweden to join the alliance "without delay". Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, reiterated ruling party concerns over Sweden's NATO bid, which he said were also shared by Orban's government. "In such a situation, NATO's unity is of paramount importance and it is not helpful if we import bilateral debates into NATO." Hungary's ratification process has been stranded in parliament since July, with Orban airing concerns about the Nordic countries' NATO membership for the first time in February. Among other criticisms, Orban has accused both countries of spreading "outright lies" about the health of democracy in Hungary.

☆ Explainer: After Finland joins NATO, why is Turkey making Sweden wait?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BACKGROUNDRussia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year convinced Sweden and Finland to ditch long-held policies of military non-alignment. WHY DOES TURKEY OBJECT TO SWEDISH NATO MEMBERSHIP? Unlike Turkey, Hungary does not have a list of demands, but says grievances need to be addressed before it can ratify Sweden's accession to NATO. WHEN WILL TURKEY AGREE TO SWEDISH NATO MEMBERSHIP? NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said it would be inconceivable that the alliance would not support Sweden if it were threatened.

HELSINKI/BRUSSELS, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland will become a member of NATO on Tuesday, completing a historic security policy shift triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while neighbour Sweden is kept in the waiting room. "It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday. Sweden underwent a similar transformation in defence thinking and Stockholm and Helsinki applied together last year to join NATO. Moscow said on Monday it would strengthen its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions in response to Finland joining NATO. Stoltenberg said he was "absolutely confident" that Sweden will become a NATO member.

"Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member of NATO making Finland safer and our alliance stronger," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels, hailing the move as "historic". Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year pushed Finland and its neighbour Sweden to apply for NATO membership, abandoning decades of military non-alignment. [1/2] NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium April 3, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron 1 2"President Putin went to war against Ukraine with the clear aim to get less NATO," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg pledged to work hard to get Sweden into NATO as soon as possible.

☆ Turkey formally approves Finland's NATO membership, in setback for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Adem Altan | Afp | Getty ImagesTurkey's parliament voted unanimously to formally approve Finland's membership to NATO on Thursday, marking a historic step for the traditionally nonaligned Nordic country that shares an 830-mile border with Russia. Turkey and Hungary remained the final holdouts standing in the way of the Nordic states' accession to the 74-year old alliance. Turkey joined NATO in 1952, and has the second-largest military in the alliance after the United States. Finland lifted its nearly three-year-long arms embargo on Turkey in January as part of its effort to improve the two countries' relations. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that Turkey would approve his country's NATO bid.

☆ Sweden less sure it will join NATO by July - TT
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, March 30 (Reuters) - Sweden's foreign minister said on Thursday he was no longer sure his country would be able to join NATO by July, after fresh signs of objections from Hungary. Sweden applied to join the military alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, but Hungary and fellow NATO member Turkey held off from approving the bid. Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said last week that "it goes without saying" Sweden would become a member by the time of a NATO summit in Vilnius in July. Finland applied to join NATO at the same time as Sweden. Its NATO membership was approved by the Hungarian parliament on Monday and is expected to be ratified by Turkey soon.

☆ Factbox: Steps in Finnish, Swedish path to NATO membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hungary's parliament approved a bill this week to allow Finland to join NATO after Erdogan declared Turkey was ready to approve that bid. Turkey's parliament is expected to follow through on Erdogan's commitment with a vote this week, clearing the way for Finland to join NATO within weeks. Here are the key steps in Finland's and Sweden's path towards NATO membership so far:FINLAND AND SWEDEN SUBMIT MEMBERSHIP REQUESTThe applications, letters signed by the countries' foreign ministers, were formally handed in by Finland's and Sweden's NATO ambassadors on May 18, 2022. FINLAND FORGES AHEADAll NATO countries must ratify a would-be member's application before it can join the alliance. But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said getting Sweden's application over the line is a top priority.

☆ Hungary says 'grievances' hold up ratification of Sweden's NATO accession
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, March 29 (Reuters) - Hungary is holding up Sweden's admission to NATO because of grievances over criticism by Stockholm of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policies, the Hungarian government spokesman said on Wednesday. Bridging the gap will require effort on both sides, spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said. Sweden and its neighbour Finland asked to join the NATO military alliance last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey's parliament would also start ratifying Finland's accession. But it held off approving Sweden's bid, accusing it of harbouring Kurdish militants.

☆ Hungarian government official argues Sweden isn't nice enough to his country to get approval to join NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hungary is one of two countries yet to approve Sweden's bid to join NATO. Sweden — alongside neighboring Finland — requested to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago, but it still needs Hungary's approval to do so. "With Finland's admission into NATO now secure, Sweden must face the music regarding its daunting attitude and former derogatory comments toward Hungary," Kovács wrote. Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty ImagesKovács wrote that another reason for the hold up on Sweden's NATO bid is Stockholm's "crumbling throne of moral superiority" and a "lack of care and respect." Sweden and Finland — both of which have historically been militarily nonaligned — applied to join NATO in May 2022 and were invited to join the military alliance the following month.

Summary Wedding boom, fuelled by government handouts, fizzlesSurging inflation boosts wedding costs, devalues benefitsSome couples scaling back or even scrapping wedding feastsJanuary weddings fall to lowest since January 2014BUDAPEST, March 27 (Reuters) - Soaring inflation is taking the steam out of Hungary's wedding market, supercharged in recent years by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's lavish family support measures, with the number of weddings plunging to a nine-year-low at the start of 2023. In January the number of weddings recorded in Hungary fell to 1,230, preliminary data showed - the lowest number since January 2014. "We did not think that this wedding boom would be so strong and prolonged, but it will now probably return to equilibrium." Mihaly Toth, a master of wedding ceremonies, says the number of couples planning to tie the knot is likely to fall from last year's levels. "We will just have a small family get-together and then go out with some friends for the night," Szabo said.

☆ Hungary parliament backs Finland's NATO accession, Swedish bid pending
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Krisztina Than | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen attend the voting of the ratification of Finland's NATO membership in Budapest, Hungary, March 27, 2023. Although Finland's bid has now been approved, the Swedish bill is still stranded in the Hungarian parliament. The bill on Finland's NATO accession was passed with 182 in favour and six votes against, after Fidesz said last week it would back the motion. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey's parliament would also start ratifying Finland's accession. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief political aide said on Twitter on Sunday the government backed Sweden's NATO membership and "now it's up to the parliament to make a decision."

☆ A growing list of countries say they will arrest Putin if he goes there, enforcing an international warrant accusing him of war crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A growing number of country in Europe say they will arrest Putin if he crosses their borders. Ireland, Croatia, Austria, and Germany said this week they arrest him, in line with an ICC warrant. Other countries — including the UK and France — welcomed the ICC decision but did not explicitly commit to arresting Putin. President Joe Biden called the ICC's warrant "justified," but noted that the US is not part of the ICC system. One European country is a standout, however, after Hungary said on Thursday it would not arrest Putin if he were to travel to the country.

☆ Hungary would not arrest Putin, says PM Orban's chief of staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, March 23 (Reuters) - Hungary would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he entered the country, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday, adding that it would have no legal grounds. Hungary signed and ratified the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant on Friday accusing Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. When asked if Putin would be arrested if he came to Hungary, Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, told a briefing that the Rome Statute had not been built into the Hungarian legal system. When asked, he said his government "had not formed a stance" on the arrest warrant issued against Putin. Putin, only the third serving president to have been issued an arrest warrant by the ICC, is unlikely to end up in court any time soon.

☆ NATO ally Hungary throws Putin a lifeline, saying it won't arrest him despite ICC warrant tied to Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hungary signaled it would not arrest Putin if he visited even though the ICC issued an arrest warrant. Hungary is an ICC member, but said that under Hungarian law it can't arrest Putin. "The ICC's statute has not been promulgated in Hungary," Gulyas said, adding that his government hasn't yet formed a stance on the arrest warrant for Putin. States Parties to the Rome Statute have a legal obligation to cooperate fully with the ICC," according to the ICC. Though the US is not an ICC member and does not recognize the court's jurisdiction, President Joe Biden said the arrest warrant for Putin was "justified."

☆ Hungary's ruling party to back Finland's NATO accession in March 27 vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, March 17 (Reuters) - Hungary's legislature will vote on the ratification of Finland's NATO accession on March 27 and the majority ruling party bloc will unanimously support the bid, the leader of the ruling Fidesz party's parliamentary group said on Friday. Mate Kocsis said in a Facebook post that the Fidesz parliamentary group will decide on Sweden's NATO accession "later," without specifying. Sweden and Finland applied last year for membership of the transatlantic military alliance after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. "We will bring forward the parliamentary vote (on Finland's NATO accession) to March 27 and will unanimously vote yes," Kocsis said in his statement. "On the issue of Sweden, the parliamentary group will decide at a later date."

☆ Hungary ruling party seeks new delay in Nordic NATO ratifications
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, March 14 (Reuters) - Hungary's ruling party lawmakers want to postpone next week's parliament session, which means a further delay in its ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO admission. The ruling Fidesz party confirmed to Reuters that parliament would not hold a session next week, which they said was due to a "delay in negotiations with Brussels." Hungary is mired in a dispute with the European Commission over the release of EU funds. Sweden and Finland applied last year for membership of the transatlantic military alliance after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. All 30 NATO members must ratify the applications, and Hungary and Turkey have held back their approvals.

☆ Hungary vows to fight in EU court to defend anti-LGBT law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, March 9 (Reuters) - Hungary's Justice Minister said late on Wednesday that Budapest would fight in the Court of Justice of the EU to defend an education law that Brussels says discriminates against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The government has said the law aimed to protect children, not target the LGBT community. "Just as we have done so far, we will go to the wall if it's about protecting our children," Varga said, adding that uphold the legislation was necessary and further measures would be taken. The European Commission referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU over the anti-LGBT law in mid-2022. The commission has said it considers that the law violates the EU's internal market rules, the fundamental rights of individuals and EU values.

☆ Hungary starts process to ratify Finland, Sweden NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Gergely Szakacs | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A general view as the Hungarian parliament starts debating the ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO membership in Budapest, Hungary, March 1, 2023. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the transatlantic defence pact after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With Hungary's ratification process stranded in parliament since July, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban aired concerns about Sweden and Finland's NATO membership for the first time last Friday. "Finland and Sweden's NATO membership serves our foreign policy, security and economic interests and it also strengthens NATO." Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Tuesday Hungary intended to send a parliamentary delegation to Finland on or around March 9 to discuss the Nordic nation's bid for accession to NATO.

☆ Hungary signals fresh delay in Finland, Sweden NATO approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the transatlantic defence pact after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But all 30 NATO members need to back the applications and Sweden has faced objections from Turkey for harbouring what Ankara considers to be members of terrorist groups. With Hungary's ratification process stranded in parliament since July, Orban aired concerns about Sweden and Finland's NATO membership for the first time on Friday. A legislative agenda published on parliament's website this week showed a final vote on the NATO bids could take place in the week of March 6. "Parliament will put this on the agenda on Monday and start debating the legislation next week," Gulyas told a news conference.

☆ Hungary PM says more talks needed on Finland, Sweden NATO bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday more talks between parliamentary groups were needed before Hungary's ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO membership, which lawmakers will start debating next Wednesday. Orban added that in the end, it should be made clear that Hungary supports Finland and Sweden's NATO membership, but said Turkey's concerns regarding Sweden's entry should also be heard, otherwise the expansion effort could fail. "Regarding Turkey, they are also our allies, and therefore we need to hear their voice," Orban said. Turkey recently indicated it would approve only Finland for NATO membership, while Hungary says it has been delayed by a flurry of legislation required to unlock European Union funds. "We need to pay attention to Turkey as in the end, the entire process will stall.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West formed what looked like an overwhelming global coalition: 141 countries supported a United Nations measure demanding that Russia unconditionally withdraw. South Korea Indonesia Israel Thailand Japan Saudi Arabia Philippines Afghanistan CambodiaBy contrast, Russia seemed isolated. Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus Syria Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus SyriaBut the West never won over as much of the world as it initially seemed. But like many other African countries, South Africa appears careful to balance its growing ties with Russia against maintaining a relationship with the West. Others that provided Ukraine with military support have declined to impose economic sanctions on Russia.

☆ China's top diplomat urges end to hostilities ahead of Moscow visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a Facebook video during a meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Wang said the world was afflicted by disorder and wars. Despite being a member of both NATO and the European Union, Hungary has maintained closer ties to Moscow than other members of those groups. Orban, who has worked to build closer business ties with China, hosted Wang at a private dinner on Sunday, news agency MTI reported. Wang reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to closer economic ties, including via China's vast Belt and Road Initiative. ($1 = 0.9368 euro)Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Alan Charlish; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hungary must bolster judiciary 'very soon' to recover billions from EU, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Hungary must bolster the independence of its judiciary "very soon" to stand a realistic chance of getting any of the 15.4 billion euros envisaged for Budapest from the European Union's COVID recovery stimulus, said a top official in the bloc. Hungary can get some 5.8 billion euros ($6.20 billion) in free grants and another 9.6 billion euros in cheap loans from the EU but the bloc has suspended any payments until Budapest implements reforms to improve judicial independence and tackle corruption. NO TRUSTThe EU Commission has put an end-year deadline on accessing the COVID funds, though several countries have already said they need more time to spend the large emergency aid package. "Those supermilestones for the judiciary have to be done soon" for that to be realistic, said Jourova. The bloc has also long frowned at what international watchdogs say is Orban channelling EU funds to associates to entrench himself in power.

☆ Hungary's Orban says Europe 'drifting into' Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday that Europe was "indirectly at war with Russia" as several European countries pledge to send battle tanks to help Ukraine fight Moscow's invasion. Orban, who last met Russian President Vladimir Putin just three weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, projected that the war could drag on for years. "Europe is drifting into the war in these very minutes, it is doing a dangerous balancing act," he told his supporters in a speech. Orban said the stance of Poland and the Baltic states with respect to the war was understandable. It could have treated it as a local regional war, or a military conflict between two Slavic nations as Hungary suggested," Orban said.

The gathering of the 27 national EU leaders was called after Austria and the Netherlands led a growing choir of complaints about increasing arrivals. In a call ahead of the summit with his Polish, Belgian, Finnish, Maltese and Bulgarian counterparts, Orban called for EU financing for such projects, saying that "fences protect all of Europe", according to his press chief quoted by state news agency MTI. In a joint letter ahead of the summit, the leaders of Malta, Denmark, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Austria and Slovakia said the EU's "current asylum system is broken." "Irregular migration has once again become one of the most pressing issues in the EU," they said. "Without renewed and successful efforts ... irregular migration to Europe can only be expected to continue and increase in the coming years."

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