In the corridors of the immense NATO headquarters in Brussels, some were counting the days: finally, Jens Stoltenberg is packing up! After ten years of good and loyal service, the Norwegian handed over the position of secretary general, this Tuesday, October 1, to Mark Rutte, appointed at the end of June by the 32 member states of the Atlantic Alliance. The Dutchman thus takes possession of the office, the only real decorative element of which is a large blue carpet with the four-pointed star of the NATO flag.
The embodiment of NATO unity, the Secretary General is not its leader. Political decisions are the responsibility of the North Atlantic Council, which brings together all member states and requires their unanimity. However, it plays a crucial role in the smooth running of work and discussions between the representatives of the nations. On this point, internally, the leadership of Stoltenberg, whose end of mandate was postponed by two years with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was criticized for an overly vertical approach to work issues.
Above all, he was criticized, and in particular his closest advisors, for indifference, if not, in certain cases, a form of aversion, for what the European Union is and does, including the main institutions are also located in the Belgian capital. “They did not take into account what the EU could do in complementarity with NATO,” regrets a good connoisseur of the mysteries of the Alliance. Among other subjects concerned: aid to Ukraine and defense industrial policy. The fact that Jens Stoltenberg comes from a country, Norway – which he led for almost a decade – located outside the European Union, obviously did not help.
As for the States that are both members of the European Union and NATO, we therefore welcome the arrival of Mark Rutte. This liberal-conservative, reputed to be warmer than his predecessor, is one of the most skillful politicians on the continent. He managed to form coalition governments four times, to his left or to his right. He proved to be a formidable negotiator during the various crises that Europe had to face and had played a significant role in brushing President Donald Trump in the wrong direction, when he threatened the allies for their lack of investment in their defenses.
“With Rutte at NATO and new leaders at the head of the European Union, there is the opportunity to make the policies of the two institutions coincide much better,” explains a diplomatic source. In addition to the next President of the Council, the Portuguese Antonio Costa, and the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, two former Baltic Prime Ministers should carry this ambition on the side of the EU: the Lithuanian Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defense, and the Estonian Kaja Kallas, new head of European diplomacy, known for her energetic support for Ukraine.