NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte would be “a very strong candidate” as Stoltenberg’s successor to lead the transatlantic military alliance.
While the NATO chief neither confirmed nor denied Rutte’s appointment, Stoltenberg said at the end of a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Rutte “has a lot of experience as prime minister.”
Stoltenberg, who described Rutte as “a close friend and colleague,” said he believes that “very soon” NATO will make an announcement about the person next in line to lead NATO and “that will be good for all of us, for NATO.”
Blinken did not make any direct remarks about Rutte, but said, “I’m confident, very confident, that the alliance will come strongly together behind a new secretary-general, and that when the current Secretary-General Stoltenberg’s term ends this fall, there will be a very strong secretary-general in place to pick up the baton.”
A major obstacle to Rutte’s appointment was lifted Tuesday when Hungary announced its support for Rutte’s appointment. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has not been keen on participating in the alliance’s support for Ukraine as it battles Russia.
On X, formerly Twitter, Orban posted Tuesday, “Hungary is ready to support PM Rutte’s bid for Nato secretary general.” The Hungarian leader also posted a letter from Rutte that read if he were to become NATO’s leader that Rutte would respect discussions that Orban had held with Stoltenberg about not using Hungarian personnel or funds in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
