Already favorite to lead NATO, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is now supported by the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany to succeed Jens Stoltenberg in this crucial post, in the midst of the war in Ukraine.
In the absence of agreement between allies on a new personality, the current secretary general was reappointed to his post in the summer of 2023 for one more year, until 1er October 2024. The Norwegian will then have led this organization for ten years, marked by ever-increasing tensions with Russia.
To succeed him, the name of the resigning head of the Dutch government, who is responsible for current affairs, has been circulating insistently for months and is gaining more weight after the public rallies of three of the most important countries of the Atlantic Alliance, starting with the leading diplomatic and military power of NATO, the United States.
Washington did “clearly know” to his allies that the Dutch Prime Minister would “an excellent general secretary”said John Kirby, Thursday February 22, the spokesperson for the American National Security Council.
“Highly respected”
If the United States generally has the last word on this choice, the position goes to a European. “We want a strong candidate”a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said earlier, saying he supported “strongly” the candidacy of the Dutch leader. “Mark Rutte is well respected within NATO, he has serious defense and security credentials and he will ensure that the Alliance remains strong and is ready to provide defense and deterrence”he explained, also welcoming the “leadership” by Jens Stoltenberg for nine years.
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, “supports the appointment of Mark Rutte as NATO Secretary General”also announced a few hours later its spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit. “With his immense experience, his great expertise in security policy and his keen sense of diplomacy, he is an exceptional candidate”he wrote on the social network
But some of the thirty-one member states of the Atlantic Alliance consider that the time has come for a woman to lead the organization for the first time. The Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, had expressed her interest, but the name of Mark Rutte now seems to stand out.
In opposition to Donald Trump
Liberal Prime Minister since 2010, Mark Rutte has announced his intention to leave the Dutch political scene but he remains in office pending the formation of a new government in his country. Negotiations have been slipping since the November 2023 elections won by the far right.
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A regular at European meetings, Mark Rutte, 57, has been able to establish relationships with a number of leaders. Another strong point, he spent time with former American President Donald Trump, whose possible return after the election to be held in November in the United States haunts the corridors of the Alliance in Brussels. Mr. Rutte did not hesitate to go so far as to publicly contradict him during a visit to the White House.
One of the criteria mentioned at NATO for the choice of Secretary General is also that of sufficient commitment to defense, in the candidates’ country of origin. Member States have committed to devoting 2% of their gross domestic product to this, an objective to which the Netherlands is very close, thanks in particular to the action of Mr. Rutte.
It will be essential, NATO diplomats argue, to appear engaged on this subject in the event of Donald Trump’s return. The latter had several times called on member states to increase their defense spending, otherwise the United States would reduce theirs or even leave the Alliance.