President Sauli Niinistö reminds that in Hungary opposition motions are voted on upside down. He would still not assume that Hungary’s NATO ratification is automatically clear.
President Sauli Niinistö says that there are two interpretations of the Hungarian parliament’s rejection of NATO ratification on Monday.
“The first is that, in general, opposition motions are automatically voted upside down there. The second is that Hungary has a considerable amount of EU legal burden, which causes operational pressures,” he says.
“Whether it’s also about the desire to influence, I can’t say.”
Niinistö commented on the matter while leaving Tallinn on the ship home, where he met on Tuesday by the President of Estonia Alar Karis and the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallasen.
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Niinistö does not interpret the Hungarian case as yet a new problem on Finland’s NATO path.
“I’m not in a troubled mood at all,” he says.
Niinistö reminds that 28 NATO member countries have already clearly expressed that Finland and Sweden are welcome as members.
HUNGARY of the prime minister Viktor Orbán Fidesz party knocked out on Monday in parliament, the Socialists’ proposal, according to which the membership of Finland and Sweden in the military alliance NATO would have been voted on on Tuesday. Nepszava newspaper reported about it.
The proposal was defeated by a vote of 117–39.
It was not about the final rejection of the ratification, but the rejection of the proposed vote.
Hungary and Turkey are the only NATO countries that have not yet accepted Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has previously stated that Hungary supports the countries’ membership, but the security concerns previously expressed by Turkey must also be taken into account.
Niinistö estimates that Turkey is the decisive factor in the matter.
“I guess the message is still being repeated from there that we are in some way in solidarity or that we want to understand Turkey’s troubles. Yes, I see that Turkey is the decisive factor here,” he said, referring to Hungary.
Was Hungary’s action a surprise?
“Not yet. They say that in the future we will see,” says Niinistö.
“The fact that there the opposition’s proposals are voted upside down is probably the custom of the country. But now I wouldn’t assume that this is automatically in any way clear.”
Niinistö raised current EU issues related to Hungary will also be highlighted.
“There are some embarrassing EU topics on display here now,” he said.
Niinistö did not want to specify the issue and did not comment on whether Hungary has linked EU issues to NATO ratification.
The EU Commission has presented Partial freezing of EU budget money received by Hungary due to violations of the rule of law. This will be done if Hungary does not take corrective measures.
Read more: The President of Estonia would welcome Finland to the NATO combat unit in Estonia
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