Hungary's parliament has approved a bill to allow Finland to join NATO once Helsinki's application has been ratified by all 30 members of the alliance - but Sweden's application remains in the balance.

The decision ends months of foot-dragging by the ruling Fidesz party on the matter, who had objected to Finland and Sweden's criticism of the country.

Finland and Sweden abandoned their long standing stance of military neutrality last year when they asked to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine. But the process has been held up by Türkiye and Hungary. Although Finland's bid has now been approved, the Swedish bill is still stranded in the Hungarian parliament. 

The bill on Finland's NATO accession was passed with 182 in favor and six votes against, after the Fidesz party said last week it would back the motion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey's parliament would also start ratifying Finland's accession. But it has also held off approving Sweden's bid. 
 

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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said he had urged Türkiye and Hungary to ratify both applications. A vote on Sweden's bid has not yet been scheduled in Budapest. 

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief political aide said on Twitter on Sunday the government backed Sweden's NATO membership and "now it's up to the parliament to make a decision." 

But the timeline for Sweden's accession bid vote in Budapest remains unclear and some Hungarian MPs and government officials have signaled that it will be a bumpy process. 

"Some MPs are concerned due to Swedish government officials making a habit of constantly questioning the state of Hungarian democracy, thereby insulting our voters, MPs & the country as a whole," Balazs Orban, who is a Member of the National Assembly, tweeted. 

Fidesz lawmakers usually act in line with the policies of Orban's government. Hungary is currently in talks with the European Commission which has held up payment of vital EU funds to the country due to accusations of corruption and concerns over the government's erosion of democratic rights. Orban denies the accusations.

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