On Wednesday (26 June), ambassadors of the 32 NATO members officially appointed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next secretary general – but who is Rutte, the man behind the job?
It wasn’t easy, and it took longer than expected, but now it’s official: outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will become the next head of NATO.
Rutte, a history graduate, became prime minister of the Netherlands for the first time since 2010 – but resigned last July after his four-party coalition fell apart over how to curb migration.
The Dutch will take the helm of the 32-nation alliance from 1 October 2024, after a decade at the helm of former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
“I know I am leaving NATO in good hands,” Stoltenberg posted on his X account (formerly Twitter) after the official announcement.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also congratulated Rutte on his election as NATO’s new Secretary General: “Your leadership and experience will be crucial for the Alliance during these challenging times,” she said.
Rutte is not known as ‘Teflon Mark’ for nothing. The Dutch leader is the longest-serving prime minister in the Netherlands and has a track record of avoiding scandal during his time in office.
He has supported Ukraine and its right to defend itself since Russia invaded the country in February 2022 – in fact, it was one of the reasons he sought the job in the first place, he said.
Earlier this month, Rutte also attended the Ukraine summit in Switzerland, where he promised that the Netherlands would “continue to support Ukraine any way we can. For as long as it takes and with all the backing that is necessary.”
Under his leadership, the Netherlands has pledged military hardware to Kyiv – but failed to meet the NATO target of spending 2% of its GDP on defense.
According to NATO estimates, the Dutch are expected to exceed the target this year, spending 2.05% of their GDP, up from around 1.2% a decade ago.
Once in office, Rutte will serve a minimum term of four years.
