Four other countries oppose Rutte's appointment to NATO

Four other countries oppose the appointment of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary-General of NATO. A senior NATO diplomat informs BNR of this. This makes it increasingly clear that Rutte will not be told this week that he is capable of leading the coalition. Especially in Eastern Europe, leaders are not yet interested in Rutte. “They believe that one day it should be a central or eastern European leading NATO,” says Europe correspondent Geert Jan Hahn.

The United States had previously made it clear that a consensus would be reached on the next leader of NATO “in the coming weeks.” US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith reiterated US support for Rutte, but said there were “ongoing consultations” on the appointment. For this reason, the United States is pinning its hopes on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, which is scheduled to be held next July. In fact, Rutte's only rival is Klaus Iohannis, the Romanian president.

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This also explains where the opposition Rutte faces comes from. This should be sought mainly in NATO members in Eastern Europe and Turkey. It seems that Eastern European countries in particular agree on their aversion to Rutte. “I understand from a senior NATO diplomat that there are now 28 countries that support Rutte,” Hahn says. In addition to Romania, Slovakia and Hungary will also pose obstacles in Eastern Europe. “They believe that one day someone from Central or Eastern Europe will have to lead NATO.”

Turkish agenda

Hahn explains that Erdogan's agenda differs from that of Eastern European countries. “Erdogan says he wants to support Rutte, but he also says non-European countries within NATO should be prioritized.” Türkiye also wants NATO to do more to combat terrorism. “So Rutte should say to Turkey: ‘Okay, I hear you too and I will work for what you find important within NATO,’” Hahn said.