Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg described Mark Rutte on Tuesday as a very strong candidate to replace him after the departing Dutch PM won the support of Hungary and Slovakia. The defence alliance takes decisions by consensus, so any candidate needs the support of all 32 allies. Only Romania, whose Prez Klaus Iohannis is also vying for the job, is still opposed to Rutte’s candidacy.
Dutch news outlet NOS quoted sources as saying Rutte will succeed Stoltenberg, who steps down in Oct after nearly a decade at the helm.Stoltenberg said the decision-making process was very close to a conclusion. “I think Mark Rutte is a very strong candidate. He has a lot of experience as PM.”
Nato’s next chief will face the challenge of sustaining allies’ support for Ukraine, while guarding against any escalation that could draw it directly into a war with Moscow.