By Beyza Binnur Donmez
ISTANBUL (AA) — Though Hungary supports Sweden's NATO membership, Stockholm should stop spreading "lies" about Budapest and its rule-of-law track record, a lawmaker from the Central European nation said on Tuesday.
Csaba Hende, deputy speaker of the Hungarian parliament, told reporters in Stockholm that Sweden was disseminating "lies" and that the country needed to treat Hungary with "more respect," according to Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio.
"It would be good if in the future, Swedish politicians, members of government, MPs and MEPs would avoid portraying Hungary in a false light," Hende said, criticizing them for alluding to an absence of rule of law "based on clearly untrue facts."
He noted that Budapest was expected to vote in favor of both countries — Finland and Sweden — joining the alliance "in the coming weeks."
"We started the debate last week and normally when everything goes well, in a couple of weeks time, such a debate is over," he said.
Only Hungary and Türkiye have not yet ratified Sweden's and Finland's requests for inclusion in NATO.