Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, is the UK’s favorite to lead NATO
Already favored to lead NATO, the Dutch prime minister has a strong ally: The United Kingdom on Thursday publicly backed Mark Rutte to succeed Jens Stoltenberg in the crucial post amid the war in Ukraine. The current Secretary General was reappointed to his post for an additional year in the summer of 2023 due to lack of agreement on a new personality. The Norwegian then led the association for ten years dominated by ever-escalating tensions with Russia.
To succeed him, the name of the outgoing head of the Dutch government, which is responsible for current affairs, had been floating around for months. It now has official support “strong” A founding member of the Atlantic Alliance. “We want a strong candidate”British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said. “Rutte is well-respected within the Alliance, has serious defense and security credentials, and will ensure that the Alliance remains strong and ready to provide defense and deterrence”He explained, greeting “Leadership” By Jens Stoltenberg for nine years. The US has not yet specified who it supports.
A liberal prime minister since 2010, he announced his intention to leave the Dutch political scene but pending the formation of a new government. Negotiations have struggled to succeed since November’s election was won by the far right. A regular at European meetings, 57-year-old Mark Rutte has been able to establish relationships with a number of leaders. He also frequently invoked former US President Donald Trump, whom he did not hesitate to publicly antagonize during his visits to the White House.
One of the criteria mentioned in NATO is that there is sufficient commitment to defense in the country of origin of the candidates. 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 Mr. Rutte’s action. NATO diplomats argue that it will be essential to appear engaged on the subject in the event of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency of the United States. The latter often called on allies to increase their defense spending, or else the United States would reduce its spending or leave the alliance.
The Dutchman’s supporters last noted that he is aware of the Russian threat, according to an international investigation – after handling the crisis caused by the firing of a Russian missile – which shot down an airliner over Ukraine in 2014, killing 197 Dutch citizens.
