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.
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Rutte's appointment as NATO Secretary General is further reinforced with Romania and Slovakia's withdrawal of their objections. The decision from these two countries came after receiving assurances from Rutte. The announcement of Rutte as the new NATO Secretary General is anticipated at the alliance's upcoming anniversary summit in Washington, scheduled for early July. This makes Rutte the fourth Dutch individual to hold this position since NATO's inception around 75 years ago. Despite Rutte's imminent ascension, President Iohannis of Romania still presented his rival candidacy in March, emphasizing the under-representation of Eastern Europeans in NATO.
While Hungary and Slovakia have withdrawn their opposition, Hungary's stance on NATO's candidate process has raised concerns, potentially impacting the consensus within the alliance. Klaus Iohanni, former President of Slovakia, voiced his support for Rutte in April, underlining the importance of unity and cohesion in NATO. Despite the supportive statements from Western European leaders like Scholz and the supporting countries, the approval from all 30 NATO members remains crucial for the formal confirmation of Rutte's candidacy.
