Mark Rutte assumes the position of NATO's Secretary General.
Amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Jens Stoltenberg's tenure as NATO Secretary-General has been extended, but a new successor has been selected: Mark Rutte, the former Dutch Prime Minister, is set to take over.
After a prolonged stalemate, the path for Rutte's appointment as the next NATO Secretary-General has been cleared. Romania decided to drop its opposition to the top post being assigned to the outgoing Dutch PM, and President Klaus Iohannis also withdrew his own candidacy, as reported by the Presidential Chancellery in Bucharest.
Now, Romania backs Rutte's nomination, as reported further. This decision was made by the country's highest defense council (CSAT), chaired by Iohannis. Hungary, Slovakia, and Turkey had previously made similar moves. These countries had been the only NATO nations that had delayed Rutte's appointment as Stoltenberg's successor for a longer time.
Rutte is a seasoned foreign policy expert, having served as the Netherlands' head of government for nearly 14 years, longer than anyone else and one of the longest-serving in the EU. For a new Secretary-General to be appointed, consensus is necessary within the alliance. This means no current NATO country can object to the chosen candidate.
Iohannis vying for another role?
Hungary relented last, after Rutte agreed to Hungarian demands. These included ensuring that Hungary would not be compelled to participate in a proposed NATO mission to coordinate weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The Orban government is concerned that the alliance could be pushed into a direct conflict with Russia through the project.
Until then, Romania had been pushing its own candidate for the top job. However, there were suspicions in diplomatic circles that Iohannis was primarily interested in being offered an alternative leadership position internationally, as an alternative. Iohannis' second term as the Romanian President ends in the fall, and he cannot run again in Romania.
Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz had publicly expressed support for Rutte in February. Support also came from the USA and Great Britain at the time. From diplomatic circles, it was said that it was highly likely that Rutte would be officially presented as Stoltenberg's successor in the coming week.
Stoltenberg's tenure continues until October 1st
Stoltenberg's tenure as NATO Secretary-General extends until October 1st. He has previously announced several times that he would resign. However, efforts by the member states to agree on a successor failed again in the summer. At the time, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the then British Defense Minister Ben Wallace were among the possible candidates for Stoltenberg's succession.
Stoltenberg has been NATO Secretary General for almost a decade now. In NATO's history, he is the second longest-serving Secretary General. The longest-serving one was the Dutchman Joseph Luns, who served from 1971 to 1984 as the Alliance's highest international civil servant.
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Following the extension of Jens Stoltenberg's tenure, Mark Rutte, the former Dutch Prime Minister, has been selected as his successor at NATO. Stoltenberg and Rutte will both play significant roles in shaping NATO's approach during a time of rising tensions with Russia over Ukraine.
