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after the meeting between Orban and Erdogan".
Analysts predict that the government navigated itself into a diplomatic dead end. There was nothing to gain from delaying Sweden's accession, as it only alienated allies and Stockholm.
Geopolitical analysts widely agree that Hungary's obstruction of Sweden's membership has significantly harmed the country's already tarnished reputation. Former foreign minister of liberal SZDSZ and ambassador to Slovenia, Istvan Szentivanyi, called the entire procedure a pathetic farce.
"The Orban government, which clings to the idea of national sovereignty, has become a pathetic henchman of the Turkish despot", he added.
There were numerous reasons given for postponing legislaton. At the onset, the government’s strategy was to seek leverage in talks with the European Commission, which blocked billions
of forints of grants to Hungary due to corruption and rule-of-law concerns.
As the spring session of parliament kicked off, Fidesz politicians began
to accuse the two Nordic countries
of spreading "outright lies" about democracy and the rule of law in Hungary and used that as a pretext to hold up the ratification procedure. After a Hungarian delegation concluded
talks Finland and Sweden in March, government politicians said all obstacles were cleared and officials set March 31 as the date for the vote for both countries.
Orban himself has touted that the government was supporting Sweden’s membership, but there was opposition from the Fidesz fraction, a rather unlikely scenario in a party on a tight leash.
Prior to attending the Nato summit in Vilnius on July 11, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the government had submitted its proposal to parliament months ago.
"We obviously did that because we support the ratification ... when parliament concludes the ratification process is a technical issue," he said.
Hungary’s illiberal strongman has found a solid ally in Erdogan since he first swept into power in 2010. There
are chilling similarities between the
two radical rightwing leaders, who foster nationalist visions and have
a strong, religious support base in the countryside. Orban has also come under pressure for his unorthodox economic policies, although his government has refrained from intervening in monetary policy directly.
Both Orban and Erdogan ran on strong anti-LGBT platforms during their respective election campaigns, and resorted to fear-mongering to accuse political rivals of being puppets controlled by foreign forces. Orban was the first EU politician to congratulate the Turkish leader on
his presidential election victory, even before the polls closed.
Hungary has also joined the Turkic Council, with the prime minister seeking partnerships among autocratic Asian leaders while escalating his anti-EU rhetoric.
Hungarian parliament passes controversial law on teachers' status
Tamas Csonka in Budapest
The Fidesz-led majority in the Hungarian parliament approved controversial legislation on July 4 that changes the legal status of teachers from being public servants from January 1, 2024, despite objections from teachers’ unions and student groups.
The legislation strips teachers of
many of their entitlements. It would introduce a new disciplinary regime involving the suspension of salary payments, extend the number of hours of daily and weekly work and require work on Sundays. Education district centres will have the right to transfer teachers to a different location within
the district if the commute by public transport does not exceed three hours. Furthermore, they could be punished or fired if they openly criticise the education system.
Some of the contentious parts were left out of the bill, such as the monitoring of mobile phones or computers.
Over the past year, teachers have demonstrated and gone on strike for higher wages as Hungary's inflation, running above 20%, erodes salaries that are already below the national average and second-to-last among OECD countries.
Many critics referred to the bill as the "Revenge Law", perceived as punishment
“Some of the contentious parts were left out of the bill, such as the monitoring of mobile phones or computers”
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