Rishi Sunak calls Hungary’s approval of Sweden’s NATO bid an ‘historic day’

credit: reuters

London (Parliament Politic Magazine) – UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed a “historic day” for NATO on Monday after Hungary approved Sweden’s bid to join the defence alliance.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak commanded a “historic day” for NATO on Monday after Hungary ratified Sweden’s bid to join the defense alliance.

“A historic day for our alliance. Sweden, we are looking forward to welcoming you to NATO very soon,” Sunak wrote on his official X account.

Hungary’s parliament overwhelmingly endorsed Sweden’s bid to join NATO on Monday, clearing the way for the Nordic nation’s acquisition of the alliance after nearly two years of intense negotiations and dealing a geopolitical blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Getting approval from the Hungarian parliament was the final burden for Stockholm to join NATO. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson visited Budapest on Friday to examine defense and security cooperation with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban. 

The two sides emerged to reconcile, agreeing on a deal to see Hungary acquire four new Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets.

Of the 194 members of parliament who voted, just six disavowed Sweden’s accession.

“Today is a historic day,” Kristersson said on X shortly after the vote. “Sweden stands ready to shoulder its responsibility for Euro-Atlantic security.”

Sweden will formally join the alliance after it presents its instrument of accession with the United States government, which is the depository of the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO 

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg affirmed Sweden would become a member of the block now that allies have approved its bid to join.

“Sweden’s membership will make us all stronger and safer,” he said.

With Sweden’s accession, NATO will count 32 countries among its members, an ironic twist given that Russia projected its war against Ukraine in part due to the alliance’s growth in Eastern Europe along Russia’s border.

Last year, Finland became the 31st NATO member, adding some 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia.

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As NATO states, Finland and Sweden will enjoy the protection granted under Article 5 of the treaty that established the alliance – which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack against all.

Daniele Naddei

Daniele Naddei is a journalist at Parliament News covering European affairs, was born in Naples on April 8, 1991. He also serves as the Director of the CentroSud24 newspaper. During the period from 2010 to 2013, Naddei completed an internship at the esteemed local radio station Radio Club 91. Subsequently, he became the author of a weekly magazine published by the Italian Volleyball Federation of Campania (FIPAV Campania), which led to his registration in the professional order of Journalists of Campania in early 2014, listed under publicists. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as a freelance photojournalist and cameraman for external services for Rai and various local entities, including TeleCapri, CapriEvent, and TLA. Additionally, between 2014 and 2017, Naddei collaborated full-time with various newspapers in Campania, both in print and online. During this period, he also resumed his role as Editor-in-Chief at Radio Club 91.
Naddei is actively involved as a press officer for several companies and is responsible for editing cultural and social events in the city through his association with the Medea Fattoria Sociale. This experience continued until 2021. Throughout these years, he hosted or collaborated on football sports programs for various local broadcasters, including TLA, TvLuna, TeleCapri, Radio Stonata, Radio Amore, and Radio Antenna Uno.
From 2016 to 2018, Naddei was employed as an editor at newspapers of national interest within the Il24.it circuit, including Internazionale24, Salute24, and OggiScuola. Since 2019, Naddei has been one of the creators of the Rabona television program "Calcio è Passione," which has been broadcast on TeleCapri Sport since 2023.