There is political agreement in all of NATO’s 32 member states that former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is their candidate for new Secretary General. His only remaining challenger withdrew today. – Can we now put two lines under the answer and say that Rutte will be NATO’s next secretary-general? – We can do that, says Kate Hansen Bundt, who is secretary general of the Norwegian Atlantic Committee, to news. Mark Rutte is considered to be the type of politician who is good at compromises. – He is considered to be the type of politician who can deal with Trump, and both the old and the new member states, says Hansen Bundt. Photo: Alex Brandon / AP – Good at compromises NATO has not formally announced that Rutte will be NATO’s new boss, but there is no longer any doubt. Hansen Bundt is not surprised. Rutte has the qualifications that the last two secretaries-general have had: They have been prime ministers and have led coalition governments. – Rutte is considered to be good at what Jens Stoltenberg is good at, making compromises, says Hansen Bundt. The big countries have long since rallied around Rutte. – He is considered to be the type of politician who can also deal with Trump, and both the old and the new member states, says Hansen Bundt. Mark Rutte has extensive political experience and has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He himself believed that a woman would become NATO’s new Secretary General. Photo: Petr David Josek / AP – Soft transition Mark Rutte has often been mentioned as Jens Stoltenberg’s successor. – I would assume that Stoltenberg, as the compromise-seeking man he is, wants a soft transition, says Hansen Bundt. That did not happen when Stoltenberg took over the position from Danish Anders Fogh Rasmussen. – I think Stoltenberg is concerned that the handover should take place in a proper and orderly manner, and to involve the new Secretary-General in all the reforms NATO is currently involved in, says Hansen Bundt. – I think Stoltenberg is concerned that the handover should take place in a proper and orderly manner, and to involve the new Secretary-General in all the reforms NATO is currently involved in, says Hansen Bundt. Photo: Pavel Golovkin / AP Stoltenberg has held the job since 2014, and his assignment has been extended four times. Now he has made it absolutely clear that he will not continue in the position. – Good at compromises There have been many candidates on the list, but in the end there was only one person left who challenged Rutte: Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis. Turkey, Slovakia and Hungary initially supported Iohannes, but in the end he only had his own country behind him. On Thursday, it became known that he is withdrawing his candidacy. In a statement, it is said that Iohannis informed NATO about this already last week, writes Reuters. Klaus Iohannis was Rutte’s last challenger. On Thursday, he withdrew his candidacy. Photo: Andreea Alexandru / AP Romania is now also standing behind Rutte. Skeptical Rutte is a very experienced politician, but several have been skeptical that he will become the fourth Dutch Secretary General during NATO’s 75-year history. – It has been said that someone should come from the new countries in the east. It should be a woman. It should be someone from a country that spends 2 percent on defense. Rutte meets none of these requirements, explains Hansen Bundt. Kate Hansen Bundt, who is secretary general of the Norwegian Atlantic Committee, is not surprised that Rutte will be NATO’s next secretary general – Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB The Netherlands has nevertheless set itself the goal of reaching NATO’s standard by spending 2 percent on defense this year. And there are other sides that have spoken in Rutte’s favour. Among other things, it has almost been read out and agreed that the secretary-general will come from a European country. – The Netherlands seems to come from a country that is not too big, not too small, but is edible. And then he is from a country that helped found NATO, says Hansen Bundt. Hear also: Published 20.06.2024, at 20.09 Updated 20.06.2024, at 20.28
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Opponents swept off the field – Mark Rutte becomes NATO chief – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
