Dutch Prime Minister Rutte lacks only 4 votes to become new NATO Secretary General
Kyiv • UNN
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is running for NATO Secretary General, must secure the support of 4 other countries - Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey - to secure the unanimous approval needed for the appointment.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is running for NATO Secretary General, has the support of 28 NATO member states, so he has to win 4 more votes. This was reported by UNN with reference to NOS.
Details
The publication emphasizes that the designation requires the unanimous support of all 32 member states.
NATO diplomats were convinced that the next leader would be named during the first week of April, before the meeting of the Alliance's foreign ministers and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of its founding. However, the unexpected nomination of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis complicated matters.
In this way, Rutte has to win the trust of four governments: Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Turkey.
It is known that Hungary has publicly stated that it does not support Rutte. President Orban resents him for his harsh comments on LGBT legislation in Hungary.
In addition, Turkey may become a significant obstacle for Rutte. This country wants to be sure that the next Secretary General will pay a lot of attention to the fight against terrorism and wants more commitments in this regard.
Hungary opposes Rutte's candidacy for NATO head - Politico Mar 5 2024, 08:23 PM • 22814 views
Analysts believe that it will be easier to persuade Hungary and Slovakia if Romanian President Iohannis withdraws his candidacy. Until that happens, it would be a shame for the Hungarians and Slovaks to reject Iohannis, the only official candidate from another Eastern European country.
Addendum
Stoltenberg's term expires on October 1 after ten years in office. His mandate has been extended three times.
If a decision on the new NATO Secretary General is not made in the first week of April, the next milestone will be the summit in Washington, D.C., on July 9-11. By then, the Allies will have to decide on a new NATO leader.
Recall
Turkey wants assurances from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte that he will not show bias against Istanbul and will not succumb to pressure from Greece and Cyprus before approving his candidacy for NATO chief.
