Hungarian opposition seeks extraordinary session of parliament on Sweden NATO bid

By Boldizsar Gyori

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian opposition parties submitted a motion on Monday calling for an extraordinary session of parliament on Feb. 5 to ratify Sweden's application to join NATO.

Hungary is the only country in the 31-member Atlantic alliance yet to ratify Sweden's application. Turkey completed its approval last week, some 20 months after Stockholm applied to join NATO following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"Our motion has been sent to the speaker... Now the question is whether 135 men will be brave enough to show up," Zita Gurmai, an opposition lawmaker, told Reuters.

Gurmai was referring to whether members of parliament from the governing Fidesz party and their small Christian Democrat allies will vote for the motion, which would boost its chances of succeeding.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Moscow's war in Ukraine, said last week he would urge lawmakers to approve Sweden's accession at the first possible opportunity.

But parliamentary speaker Laszlo Kover said there was no urgency for any extraordinary move to ratify Sweden's NATO accession and suggested that opposition attempts at an extra session would be likely to fail.

Hungary's parliament is not currently in session, but NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said last Friday he expected the assembly to ratify Sweden's accession at the end of February after it reconvenes.

Despite Orban holding an iron grip on Fidesz, government ministers have repeatedly blamed the delays on grievances about Sweden's bid among ruling party lawmakers.

The Swedish and Hungarian prime ministers will meet on Thursday at a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels.

(Reporting by Boldizsar Gyori, Editing by Jason Hovet and Timothy Heritage)