Mark Rutte, the outgoing Dutch prime minister, is anticipated to become the next head of NATO after gaining the support of Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, by promising not to deploy Hungarian forces or use Hungarian funds to support Ukraine.
Orbán, who is seen as NATO’s closest leader to Russia, announced he had withdrawn his objections following discussions with Rutte. This has led the current NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, to suggest that the selection process for the new head would conclude “very soon.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Orbán posted on X that “Hungary is ready to support PM Rutte’s bid for NATO Secretary General” and shared a letter of reassurance he had received from Rutte earlier that day.
In the letter, Rutte acknowledged the discussions between Stoltenberg and Orbán about NATO’s support for Ukraine. He assured Orbán that no Hungarian personnel would be involved in these activities and that no Hungarian funds would be allocated for them.
Rutte, 57, affirmed his commitment to this agreement, stating, “As a potential future NATO Secretary General, I will fully support the outcome of the talks” and expressed his eagerness for future cooperation.
Slovakia, another NATO member with a government sympathetic to Russia, also expressed support for Rutte on Tuesday. Slovak President Peter Pellegrini stated, “The Slovak Republic can imagine supporting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the head of the alliance.”
NATO Secretary Generals are selected by consensus among the 32 member countries. With Hungary and Slovakia backing Rutte, Romania remains the only holdout. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who was also a candidate, has not garnered support and is expected to withdraw.
Stoltenberg, who typically refrains from commenting on the succession process, indicated that the search for his successor is nearly complete.
At a press conference following a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, DC, Stoltenberg remarked, “With Prime Minister Orbán’s announcement today, it is clear that we are very close to a decision on the next Secretary General. Mark Rutte is a strong candidate with significant experience as a prime minister and a close colleague.”
Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has served as NATO Secretary General since 2014. His term has been extended multiple times due to the alliance’s difficulty in finding a successor. However, with Rutte’s emergence as a candidate, he quickly garnered support from the US, UK, Germany, and France.
Rutte, a center-right politician who has been the Dutch prime minister for 14 years, had announced his intention to step down a year ago.
He is expected to be succeeded soon after extended coalition negotiations to form a new Dutch government. Known for his political resilience, Rutte continued to teach social studies once a week in The Hague during his tenure as prime minister.
NATO’s annual summit will be held in Washington, DC next month, coinciding with Ukraine’s search for further assistance amid renewed Russian attacks.
Rutte is anticipated to assume the role of NATO head after the summit, which will focus on ensuring long-term military support for Ukraine.
In addition to supporting Ukraine without full membership, Rutte may need to address challenges posed by Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the US presidency.
Trump has expressed skepticism about NATO’s value and suggested he might withdraw from the alliance due to complaints about defense spending by other member countries.
Earlier this week, Stoltenberg noted that “more than 20 allies will spend at least 2% of GDP on defense,” a NATO target set in 2014, up from 11 countries a year ago. Trump had threatened earlier this year not to defend any NATO member that did not meet this spending level.
