Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has boycotted a session of parliament called by the opposition to ratify Sweden’s Nato membership, even as a group of western ambassadors arrived in the building to urge a vote.

For months, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, repeatedly promised his counterparts within Nato that the country would not be last to sign off on Sweden’s membership.

But Orbán reneged on the pledge when Turkey ratified the Swedish bid last month, leaving Hungary alone holding up Stockholm’s accession.

The Hungarian leader then publicly promised Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, that he would urge parliament to “conclude the ratification at the first possible opportunity” – only to also abandon that pledge by not showing up to a session initiated by the country’s opposition with the aim of voting on Sweden’s accession.

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  • Deebster@programming.dev
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    9 months ago

    So Hungary hasn’t ratified Sweden’s membership, but what does this actually mean? I know that signing a treaty means you agree to the terms and intend to sign, but that it’s not yet legally binding. And then ratifying means you’ve dealt with your own country’s process to get a new law (or whatever) in place.

    But Hungary reneging on this means that the other countries cannot complete the process? Or that they all consider Sweden in but Hungary still doesn’t?

    • zombyreagan@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Sweden is not officially in untill all member states ratify their ascention. So currently Sweden is not in

      • Deebster@programming.dev
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        9 months ago

        Thanks, that’s what I assumed. So the ratification terms must have to include what seems to be called a “quorum” clause:

        lawmakers from the ruling Fidesz party boycotted the session, meaning it lacked quorum and the ratification will be further delayed.

        Reuters

        • zombyreagan@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          It’s not so much that the nato treaty required quorum, it’s that any/most legislatures require a certain amount of members present in able to hold a vote. Imagine if you only needed one guy to show up to be able to hold a vote, there could be a lot of shenanigans