Why Did Hungary and Turkey Stall Sweden’s NATO Entry? Inside the Alliance’s Bizarre Unanimity Rule

Sweden has been trying to join NATO for what seems like forever now, but still to no avail. What's the hold up? This video examines the direct answer: Hungary and Turkey have reservations. However, that explanation raises the question of why NATO ever designed an application system where a single country can stall the entire process. We then trace the origins of NATO's unanimity rule for membership, how NATO states work around it, and some of its hidden benefits.

0:00 Sweden Tries to Join NATO
1:08 Why Hungary Doesn't Want Sweden in NATO
2:02 Why Turkey Doesn't Want Sweden in NATO
4:36 NATO's Unanimity Rule for Membership Expansion
6:03 Why NATO Requires Unanimity
7:33 Fishing for Inducements
9:50 Punishing Nay Votes
11:17 Can NATO Kick Out Hungary or Turkey?
13:51 The Vienna Convention: A Treaty for Treaties
15:21 Fake NATO
16:37 The Hidden Benefits of the Unanimity Rule

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."

From Bundesarchiv:

By Fenn-O-maniC:

By SadAttorney613:

[AtteFi]

16:32 The flags at the NATO HQ are in alphabetical order by the country's English name, so funnily enough Sweden's flag will actually be raised next to Turkey's.

[stevek]

There is an important factor that has not been mentioned; Turkey anchors NATO’s Southern flank and is strategically important for many reasons including access to the Black Sea and hosting of US based. If Turkey is forced out of NATO, then, we can foresee a swing in favor of Russia, Iran, etc and NATO cannot afford this

[HenkeB]

As a Swede I was for joining NATO for a long time. As of now I'm not that sure anymore. Joining an alliance with countries that has no issues at all blackmailing us just feels wrong.

I'd rather see us taking back the application and stand for ourselves now. It might get more expensive as we'd need to expand our military more that if we joined NATO but as t least we can still stand up to these counties.

[DoddyIshamel]

It is not really bizzarre, it makes sense tbh. What is bizarre is not being able to remove a member with unanimity in return.

[sertaki]

If you want to join an alliance where every member is required to defend every other member without any questions asked - I think it's a necessary policy to demand unanimous vote.
Anything else is just asking for massive strain on the alliance when it actually comes to war and nations decide to not honor the deal.

[Joe-lizj]

Article 5 by its very nature requires an article 10. Of course there should be unanimous agreement in a *millitary* alliance where an attack on one is an attack on all. Why shouldn’t you have a say in who you ally with? This is ridiculous.

[poulnrgaard]

The most significant step for Sweden, is the decision itself to abandon neutrality.
Just prior to Nato membership application, Sweden secured a number of defence agreements with the most significant and closest, Nato members. I hardly see the lack of membership as dramatic or pressing, as Sweden already now have agreement with those countries they would first and foremost count on, if they are attacked. The advantage of not being a member yet, is that they have no obligation to step in and defend those other countries, with which they have no agreement. This includes Turkey and Hungary.
So in summing up, it is a bigger embarasment and questions the solidarity within Nato (which benefits Putin), than it in reality is a problem for Sweden.

[thejuanandonly]

Finland rushing into NATO just to block Sweden would've been humourous

[BrianStanleyEsq]

Hungary and Turkey are liabilities. Neither would really stand up against Russia, or provide any significant assistance, if Russia attacked another NATO country. No need to kick them out. Just form NATO 2.0 & invite all members of NATO 1.0 - Turkey & Hungary + Sweden & Finland. Then give notice of withdrawal from NATO 1.0. Actually Turkey & Hungary would come to heel as soon as they thought this was about to happen, begging that the process be brought to a halt and promising to be really good in the future.

[deasttttt]

Finns had quite a bit of fun dreaming up demands to let Sweden in like changing their national anthem into Den glider in, which is famous from 1995 hockey world championships where Finland beat Sweden in finals, and European wide ban on Swedish beer Folköl. Unfortunately our killjoy government ratified them right away without even asking them to lengthen warranty on Volvo cars.

[docternoblex]

13:30 so basically “you are on this council… but we do not grant you the rank of master”

[AchyutChaudhary]

Just curious, 🇧🇦Bosnia-Herzegovina, 🇬🇪Georgia & 🇺🇦Ukraine were pledged that they'll join NATO all the way back in 2008 (compared to 🇸🇪Sweden which applied literally just last year) and hence, wouldn't the 3 nations join first before Sweden could, especially as Bosnia is even been given a MAP since 2010?

[AJWODUMO]

can you please do an in depth analysis of the african peace mission to Kyiv and Russia? Also I really love your channel. Your analyses on the Russo-Ukraine war are comprehensive, interesting to listen to, and very witty. You are the best person to cover the mission!

[RayathF]

A defensive alliance without unanimous consensus in regards to membership among its members is unreliable, for no country will drag itself into war to defend a nation it did not directly agree to defend in the first place.

It's simple to understand if you really think about it, which some people are seemingly incapable of doing.

[shmeckle]

Turkey has the second largest military in NATO after the US, and is possibly the most important geographical areas of the alliance. Turkey can do whatever it wants. The will *never* be *kicked* out of NATO.

It’s been one generation since the Cold War and the world has changed. Should be fun seeing how NATO copes with this reality—if they’re even aware of this change. They gotta get with the times eventually. OR not.

[Hrafnskald]

2. Talking about the PKK but not mentioning their terrorist attacks on civilians is questionable. This is like discussing the Troubles, and not mentioning IRA bombings. There is plenty of room to debate whether Kurdish Independence would be a desirable goal, but we should be honest about the tactics of all sides.

[ThomasHalways]

I think most bizarre to me is the case of Hungary. I am a 'kid of a cold war." I faced it as a reality of my life and in that time Hungary was the most progressive land in the former Warsaw Pact. A trip to Hungary was like a dream. Budapest has appeared like a drop of color and freedom in otherwise gray reality. How the things have changed: Angry at Swedish critique of their current government, they act petty and vindictive. I would not expect that. Even though through my personal contact to Hungarians I know that they never forgave or forgot the treaty of Trianon, and carry a lot of 'eternal' resentment to everyone in the former Entente. That resentment is projected at the present day Europe.

[SverreMunthe]

I'm not interested in why Sweden doesn't get in, I'm interested in what the other NATO countries will do to get Sweden in. Like throwing Turkey head over heals out of the alliance. Sweden is way more important to NATO than a country that isn't wholeheartedly into the alliance. And Hungary, what the fuck is wrong with them?

[Hrafnskald]

Great video overall, but a few points for context:
1. Turkey in NATO is less "foothold in Asia" and more "complete control over access to and from the Black Sea" + "easy transit from Europe to the Middle East and India via Turkish airspace". Incirlik Airbase might not be as vital as Ramstein, but it's very handy to have, in the hypothetical scenario we want to send troops or bombers to any part of the region.

[hyperspce]

the fact that you called the pkk a "militant political group" is so disrespectful and outrageous. the pkk is internationally recognized as a terrorist organization. both the European Union and NATO refer to the pkk as a "terrorist entity". the pkk has literally bombed schools, kidnapped citizens and committed violent acts of terrorism and killed thousands. imagine calling ISIS a "militant political group", it's literally the same thing. so disrespectful to all the people that died at the hands of the pkk.