Mark Rutte
NATO allies chose Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO’s new Secretary General on Wednesday, as the war in Ukraine rages on its doorstep and the United States’ future attitude towards the transatlantic alliance remains uncertain.
Rutte’s selection became a formality after his only rival for the position, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, declared last week that he had withdrawn from the contest due to lack of support.
In a statement, NATO stated, “The North Atlantic Council decided to appoint Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of NATO, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg”.
“Mr Rutte will assume his functions as Secretary General from 1 October 2024, when Mr Stoltenberg’s term expires after ten years at the helm of the Alliance”, NATO continued.
Rutte received early support from key alliance members such as the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, after announcing his candidature last year.
Others were more cautious, particularly Eastern European countries, who claimed that the position should go to someone from their region for the first time.
However, they ultimately rowed in behind Rutte, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a staunch ally of Ukraine.
Stoltenberg warmly welcomed Rutte as his successor.
“Mark is a true transatlanticist, a strong leader, and a consensus-builder”, Stoltenberg noted.
“I know I am leaving NATO in good hands”, Stoltenberg added.
NATO makes decisions by consensus so Rutte, who is leaving Dutch politics after nearly 14 years as prime minister, could only be approved if all 32 alliance members gave him their backing.
Rutte will face the challenge of sustaining allies’ support for Ukraine’s battle against Russia’s incursion while preventing NATO from being dragged directly into a war with Moscow.
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