{"id":77236,"date":"2024-06-20T13:10:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-20T13:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/20\/clearing-a-final-hurdle-dutch-leader-is-poised-to-become-nato-chief\/"},"modified":"2024-06-20T13:10:03","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T13:10:03","slug":"clearing-a-final-hurdle-dutch-leader-is-poised-to-become-nato-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/20\/clearing-a-final-hurdle-dutch-leader-is-poised-to-become-nato-chief\/","title":{"rendered":"Clearing a Final Hurdle, Dutch Leader Is Poised to Become NATO Chief"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/06\/20\/multimedia\/00nato-rutte-jmgh\/00nato-rutte-jmgh-facebookJumbo.jpg?resize=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Clearing a Final Hurdle, Dutch Leader Is Poised to Become NATO Chief\" title=\"Clearing a Final Hurdle, Dutch Leader Is Poised to Become NATO Chief\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mark Rutte, the departing prime minister of the Netherlands who has guided more than <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.defensie.nl\/onderwerpen\/oostflank-navo-gebied\/nieuws\/2024\/06\/13\/geleverde-nederlandse-militaire-steun-aan-oekraine-passeert-3-miljard-euro\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">$3 billion in Dutch military support<\/a> to Ukraine since 2022, on Thursday clinched the last assurance he needed to become NATO\u2019s next secretary general.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">On Thursday, President Klaus Iohannis of Romania <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.presidency.ro\/ro\/media\/sedinta-consiliului-suprem-de-aparare-a-tarii1718883520\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">dropped his bid to lead NATO<\/a>, making it all but certain that Mr. Rutte, 57, would be formally elected to a four-year term at the helm of the Atlantic alliance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That could take place as soon as next week, ahead of a high-level NATO summit in Washington in July. The Netherlands is a founding member, and Mr. Rutte would be the fourth Dutch official to become the organization\u2019s top diplomat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Even if that happens, he would not immediately assume responsibility for the 32-nation alliance. Mr. Rutte, who has been the leader of the Netherlands since 2010, remains prime minister in the country\u2019s transitional government, and a diplomat who requested anonymity in line with protocol, said the current NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, was for now expected to stay until his term ends in October.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Rutte has increasingly echoed a main NATO message that supporting Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia is vital for preserving democracy and national sovereignty across the alliance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThis war is not simply about defending the freedom of the Ukrainian people; it is also about protecting the freedom and security of the Netherlands,\u201d Mr. Rutte is quoted as saying at the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.government.nl\/government\/members-of-cabinet\/mark-rutte\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">top of his government\u2019s website<\/a>. \u201cSo we will not abandon those most in need.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Still, Mr. Rutte is not seen as unwilling to deal with Russia or with Moscow\u2019s few allies in NATO, as had been the case with some candidates from Eastern Europe or the Baltic States who also had expressed interest in the top job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt is a consensus organization, so you have 32 allies that you need to bring on board,\u201d said Camille Grand, a former NATO assistant secretary general who is now at the European Council on Foreign Relations. \u201cIf you\u2019re perceived as leaning toward one particular geography of the alliance, or too dovish or too hawkish, then it makes things complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThere was a concern that it was important to have someone who is perceived as in the middle ground of the alliance, rather than on the edges of the debate,\u201d Mr. Grand said. \u201cSo he was ticking all the boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Grand knew and worked with Mr. Rutte when they overlapped at NATO headquarters in Brussels. \u201cHe was always pretty mainstream in the room,\u201d Mr. Grand said. \u201cHe was never the guy who was difficult on anything, but always very supportive of NATO, sometimes even to the point of criticizing his peers when they were not loyal enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Rutte\u2019s criticism of Hungary in 2021 was seen as almost costing him the top NATO job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Hungary is both a member of NATO and of the European Union, and its leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has exasperated officials in both organizations for imposing some authoritarian policies and maintaining relations with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. In 2021, Mr. Orban\u2019s government <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/15\/world\/europe\/hungary-child-sex-lgbtq.html\" title=\"\">restricted L.G.B.T content<\/a> in the media and schools, eliciting \u201cdeep concern\u201d from E.U. leaders and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-57596263\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">prompting Mr. Rutte to declare<\/a> that Hungary \u201chas no business being in the European Union anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That set off three years of acrimony between the two men, and led to suggestions by Mr. Orban that he would not support Mr. Rutte\u2019s candidacy as the NATO chief, whose election requires unanimous consent within the alliance. But Mr. Orban backed down last week <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2024\/06\/13\/world\/g7-summit-italy#nato-defense-chiefs-pledge-more-aid-for-ukraine-and-carve-out-an-exception-for-hungary\" title=\"\">as part of an agreement<\/a> that Hungary would not provide or otherwise support NATO efforts to continue sending military aid to Ukraine for the duration of the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In a letter to Mr. Orban on Tuesday, Mr. Rutte said he would respect that agreement \u201cin a possible future capacity as NATO secretary general.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But Mr. Rutte stopped just short of apologizing for his remarks about Hungary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cI also took note that some remarks I made in 2021 as prime minister of the Netherlands have caused dissatisfaction in Hungary,\u201d Mr. Rutte wrote in the letter, dated June 18. \u201cMy priority in a possible future capacity as NATO secretary general will be to maintain unity and treat allies with the same level of understanding and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">NATO allies who backed Mr. Rutte\u2019s bid have sought to lock down support ahead of the July meeting in Washington. Mr. Iohannis, the Romanian president, dropped out of the running after Mr. Orban\u2019s concession made it clear that Mr. Rutte\u2019s bid had widespread support. On Thursday, Mr. Iohannis endorsed Mr. Rutte and announced that Romania would send one of its urgently needed Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Rutte <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/nltimes.nl\/2023\/07\/10\/dutch-pm-rutte-says-will-seek-re-election#:~:text=Outgoing%20Prime%20Minister%20Mark%20Rutte,leave%20politics%2C%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">announced last July<\/a> that he would not seek re-election in the Netherlands after his government was split over the issue of Dutch asylum for migrants and refugees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In October, he <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchnews.nl\/2023\/10\/rutte-does-not-rule-out-very-interesting-nato-top-job\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">told Dutch radio<\/a> that he found the job of NATO\u2019s civilian chief \u201cvery interesting,\u201d and by February, he had secured the backing of the United States and of European powers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Rutte is <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/dutch-pm-rutte-faces-no-confidence-vote-after-collapse-government-2023-07-10\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">not married<\/a>, lives in the same house in The Hague <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2023\/jul\/10\/mark-rutte-everyman-dutch-pm-whose-teflon-powers-finally-waned-netherlands\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">that he bought as a student<\/a> with friends, and often rides his bike to work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He is a fan of classical music and of U2, and his favorite film is the 1979 movie \u201cHair,\u201d according to a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchnews.nl\/2015\/11\/ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-prime-minister-mark-rutte\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">2015 profile<\/a> in the English-language Dutch News.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/06\/20\/world\/europe\/nato-secretary-general-rutte.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mark Rutte, the departing prime minister of the Netherlands who has guided more than $3 billion in Dutch military support to Ukraine since 2022, on Thursday clinched the last assurance he needed to become NATO\u2019s next secretary general. On Thursday, President Klaus Iohannis of Romania dropped his bid to lead NATO, making it all but [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":77237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/06\/20\/multimedia\/00nato-rutte-jmgh\/00nato-rutte-jmgh-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[302,30336,17308,1146,32708,1891,7410,23004],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77236"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77236"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77238,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77236\/revisions\/77238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}