Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg described Mark Rutte on Tuesday as a very strong candidate to replace him after the departing Dutch PM won the support of Hungary and Slovakia. A consensus-based defense organization, NATO thus requires any potential leader to have 32 supporters. However, only Romania which has President Klaus Iohannis as one of its candidates is still against Rutte.
Dutch news outlet NOS quoted sources as saying Rutte will succeed Stoltenberg, who steps down in Oct after nearly a decade at the helm. Stoltenberg said the decision-making process was very close to a conclusion. “I think Mark Rutte is a very strong candidate. He has a lot of experience as PM.”
With an eye to keeping Moscow from going beyond Ukraine into war, his next main task will be to sustain backing for Ukraine among allies in NATO.
