Dutch Prime Minister Rutte elected as new NATO Secretary General

Reuters reported the information.

Mark Rutte will replace the current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after his term expires on October 1, 2024.

Rutte's appointment became a formality, as Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced last week that he was withdrawing his candidacy for NATO Secretary General. Thus, Mark Rutte is the only candidate left.

Yesterday, AFP reported, citing NATO diplomats, that all 32 members of the Alliance supported the candidacy of the Dutch leader.

“Rutte will face the challenge of sustaining allies' support for Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion while guarding against NATO's being drawn directly into a war with Moscow. He will also have to contend with the possibility that NATO-sceptic Donald Trump may return to the White House after November's U.S. presidential election,” the outlet writes.

• On June 18, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed support for the candidacy of Dutch Prime Minister for the post of head of the North Atlantic Alliance.