Hungary has delayed Sweden's entry into NATO due to grievances over criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policies. Hungary, along with Turkey, has been holding up the

process of Finland and Sweden's NATO membership requests following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

While Hungary's parliament recently approved a bill to allow Finland to join NATO, Sweden's bill is still stranded. Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said that "an ample amount of grievances" need to be addressed before Sweden's admission can be ratified. 

He referred to Swedish criticism of Hungary's government's erosion of the rule of law in the past 13 years, which Orban denies. Kovacs added that Stockholm had taken a "hostile attitude" towards Budapest for years and that "adding Ankara's woes and grievances to the mix does not leave much room to manoeuvre". 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey's parliament would begin ratifying Finland's accession, but it held off approving Sweden's bid, accusing it of harbouring Kurdish militants. Bridging the gap will require effort from both sides.

Photo: Sergeant Paul Shaw LBIPP (Army)/MOD, Wikimedia commons.