NATO Application

After months of postponements and delays, Hungary’s Parliament on Monday approved Finland’s bid to join NATO, leaving one final hurdle before Finland becomes the 31st member of the alliance. The vote was 182 in favor and only six against, making Turkey the last of NATO’S 30 members that has yet to approve Finland’s membership, and Turkey’s Parliament could vote later this week. Accepting a new member requires unanimous agreement by the countries already in the alliance. Turkey is expected to give its consent, but there is little sign that it is currently willing to approve the application of Finland’s neighbor Sweden, which applied for NATO membership at the same time last year.