He should officially take office on October 1, replacing Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, appointed in 2014 and whose mandate was renewed four times. The 32 NATO countries appointed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, 57, as the next secretary general on Wednesday June 26, in a crucial moment for the Alliance as Russia continues its war in Ukraine. The path was clear for Mark Rutte after last week’s withdrawal of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis’ candidacy.
In addition to the conflict in Ukraine, he could have to deal with a new presidency of Donald Trump, if the American billionaire, very critical of the role of NATO, were to return to the White House after the elections in November.
“He has a lot of experience as Prime Minister,” Jens Stoltenberg recently assured, saying he was “certain” that the upcoming appointment of his successor would be a good thing “for all of us, for NATO and for myself “.
Mark Rutte should not be frightened by the prospect of remaining in office for a long time. An experienced politician, this liberal has been head of the Dutch government for 14 years (in current affairs since the electoral victory of the far right in the Netherlands in November). Renowned for his simplicity and frankness, the former Unilever executive was able to build an important network of relationships, including on the other side of the Atlantic.
Coaxing Trump
His supposed ability to coax Donald Trump also worked in his favor when deciding on the replacement of Jens Stoltenberg, in the event that the American billionaire were to return to the White House. During a meeting in 2018, the Dutch leader managed to convince him of the seriousness of the Europeans’ commitment to spending more on their defense, by assuring him of the determining role played by his tireless critics in the matter.
Since then, Donald Trump has confirmed the little regard he has for American engagement in Europe, and it will take a lot of the negotiator qualities attributed to the outgoing Mark Rutte to reason with him, if he were to be elected in November.
His talents as a diplomat allowed him to secure the support of the Allies, including those of Turkey and Hungary, although they were not very enthusiastic about the idea of appointing a fourth Dutchman at the head of NATO.