Hungarian government refuses to meet with US senators
19 February 2024 17:25
A bipartisan delegation of US senators has arrived in Hungary, but the Hungarian government has not met with the American delegates. This was reported by the Associated Press, according to the 
The delegation included Republican Tom Tillis (Senator from North Carolina) and Democrats Chris Murphy (Connecticut) and Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire). The purpose of the visit was to persuade Hungarians to approve Sweden’s accession to NATO.
“The visiting senators announced that they will submit a joint resolution to Congress condemning Hungary’s alleged retreat from democracy and calling on the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban to lift the blockade on Sweden’s transatlantic integration,”
– the agency reports.
The resolution also says that Hungary has failed to keep its promise “not to be the last country to endorse Sweden’s accession to NATO”. By doing so, it has threatened NATO’s unity at a time of great difficulty for European security.
The US representatives called the Hungarian demarche “strange and disturbing”, but remained hopeful and enthusiastic that a decision would be made after the Hungarian parliament reconvenes. In the meantime, the delegates limited their visit to meetings with Hungarian MPs and speeches at the US Embassy.
“We’re politically wise enough here to know that if Prime Minister Orban wants this to happen, then the parliament can move forward,”
– Chris Murphy said.
The day before, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that “the dispute with Sweden is coming to an end”:
“We are moving towards ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO at the beginning of the spring session of parliament.”
on 5 February, the Hungarian parliament failed to vote in favour of Sweden’s accession to NATO as lawmakers from the ruling Fidesz party boycotted the session.
Hungary remains the only NATO country that has not ratified Sweden’s application to join the Alliance.
Read also: Hungary blocks another EU sanctions package – Financial Times.
