Mark Rutte will be the next head of NATO

All 32 NATO member states supported the candidacy of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the position of NATO Secretary General. Another contender besides Rutte is Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, but he has announced that he will withdraw his candidacy. Politico reported this on Thursday, June 20.

Mark Rutte will step down as Prime Minister of the Netherlands in a few weeks – when a new government is formed. Current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will leave his post on October 1.

In the past, Rutte was opposed by Romania, whose president Klaus Iohannis announced his intention to run for the position of general secretary, but he withdrew his candidacy.

According to Politico, one of Rutte’s main tasks is to increase military spending by all alliance member countries to 2% of GDP.

Mark Rutte was born on February 14, 1967 in The Hague in the family of the director of a large Dutch trading company. He became interested in politics as a student, leading the youth organization of the liberal-conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy. In May 2006, he was elected leader of the party, and in 2010 it won the parliamentary elections, and Rutte became the first liberal in 90 years to head the Dutch government.

Rutte received the nickname “Teflon Mark” for his stability as prime minister and ability to get out of any political problem.

As you know, the Alliance makes a consensus decision and any candidate needs the support of all 32 allies. Earlier it became known that Hungary refused to block Rutte’s candidacy for the post of NATO Secretary General.