On Wednesday 26 June 2024, the North Atlantic Council decided to appoint Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO’s next Secretary General.
He will assume his duties as Secretary General on 1 October 2024, when Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg’s term, in office since 2014, expires.
Mr Stoltenberg was quick to “warmly welcome” the Allies’ choice. “Mark is a true transatlanticist, a strong leader and a consensus builder. I wish him every success as we continue to strengthen NATO”, he stressed on X. And he added: “I know I am leaving NATO in good hands”.
The Dutchman received many congratulations, including one from the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. In her view, Mr Rutte’s leadership and experience will be crucial for the Alliance “in these difficult times”. She looked forward to working with him to further strengthen the EU-NATO partnership.
The agreement reached with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, followed by the withdrawal of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis’s candidacy, allowed Mr Rutte to rally all the Allies to his cause. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)