NATO appoints Dutch PM as next chief as global challenges mount for alliance
His appointment comes after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis – his only rival for the position – announced last week that he had withdrawn from the running.
“It is a tremendous honour to be appointed Secretary-General of NATO. The Alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security,” Rutte said in a post on X Wednesday.
The Dutch leader, 57, said he was grateful to the NATO allies for placing their trust in him. “Leading this organization is a responsibility I do not take lightly,” he said.
Rutte is set to start his new position on October 1 when incumbent NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg’s 10-year tenure comes to an end, according to a statement from the alliance.
Stoltenberg said Wednesday that he “warmly welcomes” the appointment of his successor.
“Mark is a true transatlanticist, a strong leader and a consensus-builder. I wish him every success as we continue to strengthen NATO,” he posted on X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also took to X to congratulate the next NATO chief. “I know Mark Rutte as a principled and strong leader, who has demonstrated his decisiveness and vision on many occasions over the past years,” Zelensky said.
Nodding towards the war in Ukraine, Zelensky added: “When Mr. Rutte takes over this post from @JensStoltenberg in October, we anticipate that our joint work to ensure the protection of people and freedom throughout our entire Euro-Atlantic community will continue at good pace.”
The secretary general is the alliance’s top international civil servant. The person in that role chairs all of NATO’s major committees, is its principal spokesperson and the head of the organization’s international staff.
Rutte will inherit a NATO that is racing to bolster its own security while also supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The alliance is walking a tightrope of rearming and increasing military spending while avoiding provoking Moscow and escalating what is already the deadliest war on European soil in decades.
This story has been updated.
The Dutch leader, 57, shared his gratitude to the NATO allies in a post on X after being appointed as the next Secretary-General of NATO, a position he does not take lightly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to X to congratulate the incoming NATO chief, expressing his confidence that their joint work to ensure the protection of people and freedom across the Euro-Atlantic community will continue at a good pace, acknowledging the challenges Rutte will face, such as bolstering NATO's security and supporting Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion.
