But it's a race that's largely taking place "behind the scenes," and there's no sign of a winner yet.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on April 5. Photo: AFP/VNA
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is expected to leave his position at the end of September, after nine years in office. Many members of the military alliance want to find a replacement for Stoltenberg during or even before the NATO summit in Lithuania in mid-July.
Therefore, there will not be much time for the 31 NATO member states to reach the necessary consensus to choose a new secretary-general. It is also possible they will ask Stoltenberg for a fourth term.
According to Reuters, whoever holds the position of NATO Secretary General at this time will face the dual challenge of keeping allies supporting Ukraine while guarding against any escalation that could draw NATO directly into conflict with Russia.
The competition for the position of NATO Secretary General is currently unclear, largely taking place within consultations between leaders and diplomats . These consultations will continue until all NATO members agree that they have reached a consensus.
Jamie Shea, a former senior official who served NATO for 38 years, believes that leaders will look for a politician, communicator, and diplomat with experience.
Many member states favor former prime ministers or presidents to ensure the NATO Secretary General has political influence at the highest level. Mr. Stoltenberg (64 years old) was formerly the Prime Minister of Norway. Some other members, particularly France, want a figure from a European Union (EU) country in the hope of closer cooperation between NATO and the EU.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks in Copenhagen on November 2, 2022. Photo: AFP/VNA
British Defence Minister Ben Wallace recently stated that he would like the job. However, some members support NATO having its first female Secretary-General. Therefore, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is emerging as a strong candidate. Several NATO diplomats have told Reuters that behind the scenes, Frederiksen is being seriously considered. But the Danish Prime Minister says she is not a candidate.
The Norwegian newspaper VG mentioned Frederiksen's name as a candidate for NATO Secretary General last month. But this week, media attention has been particularly focused on her after the White House announced that Prime Minister Frederiksen will visit US President Joe Biden in early June.
During a press conference in Copenhagen on May 24, Frederiksen downplayed speculation that her visit to the US might lead to a job interview for a position at NATO.
The position of NATO Secretary General is usually held by a European politician, but any serious candidate needs support from Washington. A Reuters source familiar with the matter said the Biden administration has yet to choose a preferred candidate and a "heated debate" is underway among top aides.
A State Department spokesperson said it was "too early" to speculate on which candidate the U.S. would support.
Frederiksen (45 years old), a member of the Social Democratic Party, became Denmark's youngest Prime Minister in 2019. She was praised for her crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic and was elected for a second term in 2022.
If appointed, Frederiksen would become the third consecutive NATO Secretary General from a Nordic country. She would have to relinquish her position as Prime Minister if she were to become NATO Secretary General.
Denmark has failed to meet NATO's target of spending 2% of its GDP on defense. Denmark is currently at 1.38%, and Prime Minister Frederiksen has pledged to accelerate efforts to reach the 2% target.
NATO soldiers at Orzysz, Poland. Photo: AFP/VNA
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland were also mentioned in discussions among diplomats and journalists.
But diplomats argue that for some NATO members, Kallas is seen as too strong a stance toward Russia. Meanwhile, Germany wants von der Leyen to remain at the European Commission, while Freeland faces significant obstacles as he is not from a European country and Canada is considered slow in defense spending.
Other names mentioned include Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. However, Rutte has stated he is not interested in the job. Sanchez, on the other hand, is expected to "fight" in the general election later this year.
The lack of candidates with widespread support increases the likelihood that Stoltenberg's term could be extended. Stoltenberg has said he does not want to stay longer. However, he has not mentioned how he would respond if asked to extend his term.
(Source: News Report)
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