Nato - Dutchman Rutte becomes Stoltenberg's successor
The outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has officially been appointed as the next Secretary General of NATO. The 57-year-old is set to take over from the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg in early October, as announced by NATO after a meeting of the permanent representatives of the 32 NATO countries in the Brussels headquarters. Stoltenberg (65) will have served for ten years in the top position.
Stoltenberg welcomed the personnel decision, "I am very pleased that the NATO allies have chosen Mark Rutte as my successor. Mark is a true Transatlanticist, a strong leadership personality, and someone who builds consensus." He wished him much success and knew he was handing the NATO over to capable hands.
Rutte's tenure begins with a four-year contract. The Dutch politician is known as an experienced foreign policy expert. He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands for nearly 14 years, longer than anyone before him, making him one of the longest-serving in the EU.
Initial Reactions
Rutte expressed that it was an immense honor to be appointed as NATO Secretary General and thanked the allies for their trust. "Leading this organization is a responsibility I take very seriously," he promised. He will enter the position in October with great enthusiasm.
Government and prime ministers of other NATO countries congratulated the Dutchman. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on the platform X, "Dear Mark Rutte, Congratulations! And good luck as NATO Secretary General. Our alliance has rarely been as important as it is today. Your experience, security policy expertise, and diplomatic skills come at the right place. A good choice for freedom and security."
The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that he was confident that Rutte would continue the outstanding work of Stoltenberg in keeping NATO strong and united. Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of new NATO member Sweden, described Rutte as an "excellent leader."
The primary responsibility of the NATO Secretary General is to coordinate the political decision-making processes among the allies and ensure that a consensus is reached, even in difficult issues. Since they can also propose actions, they play a crucial role in times of crises or conflicts. Moreover, the Secretary General represents NATO on the international stage and leads the NATO Headquarters as the highest administrative official.
The War and the Trump Scenario
A particularly significant challenge for Rutte's new role could be if there is a return of Donald Trump to the White House after the US presidential election in November. Trump's past statements raised doubts about whether the US would uphold its commitment to support its allies unrestrictedly under his leadership.
During his tenure from 2017 to 2021, Trump frequently criticized the supposedly too low defense spending of European allies and even threatened to withdraw the US from the alliance.
Even if there is no re-election of Trump, Rutte will still be strongly pressured. This is mainly due to the fact that Russia's war against Ukraine has completely changed the security political environment. However, countries like Germany and the USA are against it, as they fear that such a step could lead Russia to carry out its war even more aggressively. On the other hand, countries like Poland or the Baltic states see the risk differently.
There was a long-standing blockade of personnel by member states such as Hungary and Romania before Rutte's appointment. They only gave up their resistance in the last week and thus paved the way for the necessary consensus in the North Atlantic Council.
Hungary gave in after Rutte agreed to Hungarian demands. Among other things, it was about Hungary ensuring that it would not be forced to participate in a planned NATO mission to coordinate weapons deliveries for Ukraine.
The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban fears that the alliance could be driven into a direct confrontation with Russia through this project. From Romania, President Klaus Iohannis himself was a candidate for the position. However, he officially withdrew his application after Orban's decision.
Scholz had already publicly supported Rutte in February. Support also came from the USA and Great Britain at that time.
The background of the apparently hopeless candidacy of the Romanian Iohannis in alliance circles was his uncertain professional future. It was assumed that it was mainly about Iohannis becoming an alternative for some other international top position. The second term of the Romanian president as state president ends in the fall, and he cannot run for office again in Romania.
The current contract of the NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg runs until October 1st. Stoltenberg had already announced several times that he would resign. However, attempts by the member states to agree on a successor failed again in the summer.
At that time, possible candidates for Stoltenberg's succession included the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the then British Defense Minister Ben Wallace. In the history of the alliance, Stoltenberg is currently the second-longest serving secretary-general. The longest-serving top international official of the Alliance was the Dutchman Joseph Luns, who served from 1971 to 1984.
- The Netherlands, led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, will soon hand over NATO's top position to his successor, as announced in Brussels.
- Jens Stoltenberg, the current Prime Minister of Norway and NATO Secretary General, praised Rutte as a strong leader and a true Transatlanticist.
- Rutte's appointment follows a meeting of the permanent representatives of the 32 NATO countries, where they unanimously agreed on his selection.
- Rutte is known for his extensive experience in foreign policy, having served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands for nearly 14 years.
- Rutte's tenure as NATO Secretary General will begin in October and will last for four years, as stipulated in his contract.
- In response to his appointment, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz applauded Rutte's selection, praising his experience and diplomatic skills.
- The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, also congratulated Rutte, expressing confidence that he will continue Stoltenberg's work in keeping NATO strong and united.
- Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine has significantly changed the security political environment, presenting a challenge to Rutte's role as NATO Secretary General.
- Countries like Poland and the Baltic states, fearing a more aggressive Russian response, support a strong NATO stance, while others like Germany and the USA have reservations.
- Hungary and Romania had previously blocked potential candidates for the NATO Secretary General position but relented after agreeing to certain terms with Rutte.
