The way is now clear for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, candidate for head of NATO, after the withdrawal this Thursday, June 20, from the race of his only competitor, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. The 65-year-old leader indicated that he had informed the countries of the Atlantic Alliance that he was throwing in the towel, the Higher Council of National Defense announced in a press release, which therefore decided to support Mark Rutte.
This is the end of a false suspense as the chances of the Romanian official, who had revealed his ambitions in March, saying he wanted to embody the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance, seemed weak in the face of the American support granted to Mark Rutte. The proposal was, however, serious: Romania gained ground within the alliance, due to its strategic position on the border of Ukraine and Moldova, non-NATO members. It also borders the Black Sea and more than 5,000 NATO soldiers are deployed there.
The decisive support of Hungary
But Klaus Iohannis failed to convince the 31 other countries of the Alliance. Only the Hungary of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban had given him its support, before rallying on Tuesday to the big favorite, Mark Rutte. The Dutch leader “confirmed” that if he obtained this position, Hungary would not be obliged to participate in the activities of the Atlantic Alliance in Ukraine and, “in view of this commitment, Hungary is ready to support him”, declared the Hungarian Prime Minister on X.
The decision, taken by consensus among member states for this post which falls to a European, to appoint the 57-year-old Dutch leader, must be announced by the Washington summit in July. Under the mandate of Jens Stoltenberg, which ends on October 1, NATO has taken on crucial importance in the face of the war in Ukraine.
Mark Rutte should not be frightened by the prospect of remaining in office for a long time. A seasoned 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. 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.