Mark Rutte already has a strong consensus among many NATO members that he will receive the post.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is the leading contender to lead NATO when Jens Stoltenberg steps down next year. Bloomberg reported this, citing sources.
Rutte, 56, already has a strong consensus among many NATO members that he will take over when Stoltenberg’s term expires in October 2024. However, this is not yet a settled issue, as other candidate can join the race.
According to one of the publication’s unnamed interlocutors, the Dutch and US governments were in contact about the officer’s chances when he announced last month that he was open to working for NATO. However, Rutte himself did not directly communicate with his American colleagues.
As another interlocutor noted, the United States twice offered this role to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He had previously turned down this offer because he didn’t think his office would be destroyed so quickly.
According to the publication, official US support will strengthen Rutte’s position as the next NATO leader. His government strengthened ties between the United States and the Netherlands as it came under pressure from Washington to limit certain types of trade with China.
As mentioned, the Dutch leader may also be more willing than other candidates to work with Donald Trump if he wins the US presidential election in 2024. The official is believed to have decent connections with the former president, who threatened to pull the United States out of the alliance.
In addition to the US, he is also likely to receive support from countries such as Hungary and Turkey, with which he maintains good relations behind closed doors, one of the people said.
Eastern NATO members may also end up supporting Rutte in light of the Netherlands’ strong support for Ukraine in the war with the Russian Federation.
The publication states that the NATO allies want to consider candidates from different regions and different profiles, unlike the recent Scandinavian or Dutch general secretaries.
We remind you that the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaia Kallas is “open” until her appointment as Secretary General of NATO.
It was previously reported that British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said he wants to be the next Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance after the resignation of Jens Stoltenberg.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.