Washington and London want Dutch Rutte to be the new head of NATO

Enlarge image

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the Munich Security Conference: High regard

Photo: Tobias Hase / dpa

After ten years in office, Jens Stoltenberg will give up the post of NATO Secretary General in the fall.

Now there is movement in the search for a successor.

The USA and Great Britain therefore support the current Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as a candidate.

A US official told Reuters on Thursday that President Joe Biden supports Rutte's candidacy.

The British Foreign Ministry said the government in London also stood behind Rutte.

Britain “strongly” supports Rutte as Stoltenberg’s successor, a government spokesman told journalists on Thursday.

Rutte enjoys a high reputation throughout the military alliance, has experience in the areas of defense and security and will ensure "that the alliance remains strong and ready for defense and deterrence."

A “very interesting” task

Stoltenberg's successor is expected to be announced before a NATO summit in Washington in July.

The incumbent NATO chief will be giving up his post on October 1st after a total of ten years, after his term of office was extended twice in view of the war in Ukraine.

Last year, Rutte initially ruled himself out as a possible successor to Stoltenberg.

However, in October he told Dutch media that leading the military alliance was a "very interesting" task that he would be open to if it presented itself.

The 57-year-old Rutte is currently the Dutch head of government until a new government is formed following the election victory of right-wing populist Geert Wilders in November.

Diplomatic circles said that Rutte was also considered the favorite among the candidates for the office of the new Secretary General for the NATO states Germany and France.

According to coalition circles in Berlin, it is expected that the federal government will also support Rutte.

The federal government initially did not want to comment on Rutte's personality.

If Rutte actually succeeds the incumbent NATO chief Stoltenberg, he would be the fourth Dutchman to hold this office.

Stoltenberg himself told the AFP news agency last year that Rutte was "a capable politician with a lot of experience as head of government."

"But it's not up to me to decide who will be my successor," he emphasized.

Other candidates include Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvia's Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins.

mrc/AFP/Reuters