Pars Today

Finland has edged closer to joining NATO after its parliament overwhelmingly passed legislation necessary for allowing the country to be a member of the transatlantic military alliance and Hungary’s ruling party said it would support the bid.

Finland’s parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of joining NATO, with a final vote of 184 to 7. The government’s chancellor of justice, Tuomas Poysti, said that after the bill was approved by the parliament, the president can wait a maximum of three months to sign it.

Last week, Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto told reporters that he intended to sign the measure “as soon as it is approved by parliament,” but “if there are practical reasons, I can wait.”

While joining NATO requires ratifications from all of its 30 members, Finnish lawmakers have pushed for the legislation to be passed before general elections on April 2 to avoid a political vacuum.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, speaking to the press alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a parliamentary debate, said she would have hoped Finland and Sweden were already members by now as they had met all the requirements. 

“Of course, this strains the open door policy of NATO as well,” she said. “It has to do with NATO's credibility.”

Hungary’s parliament began debating the ratification on Wednesday and could vote this month. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who controls the government and legislature, has said he supports the application, but recently raised the possibility that members of Parliament from his governing Fidesz party might not.

Finland and Sweden had pledged to enter the alliance “hand in hand,” but Sweden’s application has been held up by Turkey. So if Turkey and Hungary soon approve the Finnish application, as is expected, Finland will join NATO without its Nordic partner.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has warned that leaving his country outside NATO alone could create a security problem for both Sweden and for the alliance.

Finland pushed Sweden to apply to join NATO after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine a year ago. Both countries are members of the European Union, but judged that their traditional policies of military nonalignment were untenable after the war in Ukraine.

SS