Budapest recalled that the Prime Minister of the Netherlands has long been a critic of the current Hungarian government.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said his country will not support Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s candidacy for NATO secretary general when the position becomes vacant at the end of the year. Politico reported this on Tuesday, March 5.
The publication notes that the opposition from Budapest increases uncertainty about the succession plan for the top position in the Alliance. A third of NATO’s 31 member nations have not yet decided on their support for Rutte, whose support has been announced in the United States.
The publication recalled that the Prime Minister of the Netherlands is a longtime critic of the current Hungarian government. In 2021, Rutte condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s new anti-LGBT law, saying the country “can no longer do anything in the European Union.” “The long-term goal is to bring Hungary to its knees on this issue,” the Dutch politician said at the time.
“We certainly cannot support the election of a person who previously wanted to bring Hungary to its knees in the post of NATO Secretary General,” said Szijjártó.
The statement came days before Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Donald Trump in the United States.
The publication recalled that London, Paris and Berlin have pledged to support Rutte’s application to join NATO. With a reputation as a “Trump whisperer”, “Rutte is seen in some circles as an ideal partner if the NATO-sceptic former president wins the US election in November.”
Politico also noted that a group of eastern countries near the Russian border remain unsure of Rutte’s candidacy, but for different reasons.
“The Baltic states are unhappy with Rutte’s lack of commitment to Dutch defense spending, while Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is unhappy with the Netherlands’ long-standing opposition to his country joining the Schengen area. When last month, Iohannis told allies that he had decided to defy Rutte,” the newspaper wrote.
We remind you that on Tuesday, March 5, the President of Hungary signed the ratification of Sweden’s membership in NATO.
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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.