All NATO members have agreed to Dutch Prime Minister Rutte becoming the next secretary general — Politico
All 32 member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance have agreed that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will be the next NATO secretary general
It notes that Romania, whose president withdrew his candidacy, confirmed support for the Dutch head of government after it was expressed by Hungary and Slovakia.
At the same time, Politico adds that Rutte will become NATO secretary general and replace Jens Stoltenberg on Oct. 2. The publication says this will come at a "critical time," as the Dutch prime minister will start his job "just over a month before the U.S. election that will shape the fate of a military alliance that has served as Eastern Europe's most successful deterrent to an aggressive Russia".
The piece says observers have called Rutte a "Trump charmer" because of his ability to cut deals with any politician. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has also said of Rutte that he "likes the guy".
- On June 20, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced he was withdrawing his candidacy for NATO secretary general. Therefore, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was the only candidate left.
