Withdrawal of Iohannis' Candidacy: Rutte's Road to NATO Secretary General Unobstructed
The 57-year-old Dutch fellow is all set to take over from Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in October, following Hungary and Slovakia's withdrawal of opposition towards him on Tuesday. They justified their decision due to assurances from Rutte.
NATO is expected to announce Rutte as the new Secretary General at their anniversary summit in Washington, early July. He will be the fourth Dutchman to hold this position since the formation of the transatlantic alliance around 75 years ago.
The USA, Germany, Great Britain, and France have already voiced their support for Rutte back in February. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) deemed Rutte an "exceptional candidate" due to his "extensive experience, top-notch security policy knowledge, and exceptional diplomatic finesse".
Iohannis declared his rival candidacy in March, citing the under-representation of Eastern Europeans in NATO as his primary reason.
