Foreign media reports have emerged suggesting that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is a leading candidate for the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), who will be replaced in the second half of this year.
On the 22nd (local time), the U.S. political news outlet Politico cited an anonymous official, reporting that "U.S. President Joe Biden supports Prime Minister Rutte as the candidate for NATO's new Secretary General." It also quoted multiple NATO officials saying that more than 20 out of the 31 member countries have agreed to support Prime Minister Rutte. This amounts to about two-thirds of the total member countries.
According to regulations, the Secretary General of NATO must be unanimously approved by all 31 member countries. The support of the United States, the core of NATO, is considered a decisive factor. For Prime Minister Rutte, securing the backing of the majority of member countries, including the U.S., appears to bring him one step closer to the Secretary General position.
The next Secretary General is expected to focus on preventing NATO division if former President Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election in November. Therefore, Rutte, who values NATO alliances and has extensive experience in government administration, is interpreted to be highly favored.
However, Turkey and Hungary, which insist on their own paths within NATO, are seen as variables. Bloomberg reported that Turkey demanded that Prime Minister Rutte promise to maintain 'neutrality' if he becomes the next Secretary General.
This is intended to ensure that the Secretary General manages the organization by balancing the majority of European Union (EU) member countries and non-EU member countries within NATO. In Hungary's case, it has an uncomfortable relationship with the Netherlands, which strongly criticizes 'democratic backsliding.'
Additionally, there is uncertainty about whether Baltic Sea coastal member countries, which want more active support for Ukraine's NATO membership, will support Rutte, who has shown a relatively passive stance.
Prime Minister Rutte, who took office in 2006 and is the longest-serving Dutch prime minister in history, dissolved the coalition government last July due to internal conflicts and abruptly announced his retirement from politics. He will step down from the prime minister position once the new coalition is formed. Three months after announcing his retirement, in October last year, he publicly expressed interest in the NATO Secretary General position.
The new Secretary General is expected to take office after the current head, Jens Stoltenberg, resigns in October. NATO is expected to finalize the candidate within the first half of this year.
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