New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte takes office at a “turning point”

After more than 10 years running the Eurozone's 5th largest economy , Mr. Mark Rutte will start working as NATO Secretary General from October 1.

The veteran politician will need all his diplomatic skills and political experience to manage the transatlantic military alliance in challenging times.

Last July, Mark Rutte announced he would resign as Dutch Prime Minister and "leave politics" after his coalition government collapsed over differences over migration policy.

However, by October of that year, he appeared to have found a new direction when he expressed interest in succeeding NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Previously, Mr. Stoltenberg announced that he would leave this position at the end of September this year, after a full decade leading the alliance.

When Mr Rutte takes over from Mr Stoltenberg, the new NATO Secretary General will have to overcome the huge "shadow" of his predecessor.

During his 10 years leading the alliance, Mr. Stoltenberg has navigated major geopolitical shifts to infuse NATO with new purpose and direction.

But how NATO navigates the challenges of the coming decade – under its new leader – will determine the alliance's long-term future.

Gather support

After months of campaigning for the coveted position, Mr. Rutte won the support of NATO leaders, most of whom he had known during his 13 years as Dutch Prime Minister and from coordination in various international organizations.

The 57-year-old politician is the candidate favored by US President Joe Biden as well as most European leaders for the top civilian position of the NATO military alliance.

On the European Union (EU) side, a diplomat told DW that Mr. Rutte is considered "Mr. No" because he has rejected many ambitious reform plans and ideas put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron. However, Mr. Rutte gets along well with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

While serving as Dutch Prime Minister, Mr. Rutte built a strong relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: CGTN

He also has a good relationship with Giorgia Meloni, Italy's right-wing populist prime minister. Mr Rutte and Ms Meloni have jointly proposed processing asylum applications outside the EU in third-party countries.

But it took the Dutch politician longer to win the support of Viktor Orban, Hungary's right-wing nationalist prime minister.

Mr Rutte's ability to weather political adversity could come in handy if Donald Trump returns to the White House and once again turns his criticism on NATO.

Although Mr Rutte and Mr Trump have developed a surprisingly positive relationship in the past, unlike the Republican US presidential candidate, the new NATO secretary general is an enthusiastic supporter of Ukraine.

Notably, under his leadership, Amsterdam's military aid flowed heavily to Ukraine, including Dutch howitzers and F-16 aircraft.

However, the Dutch military itself has been underfunded during Mr Rutte’s years in power. This year will be the first time the Netherlands spends 2% of GDP on defence, in line with NATO’s spending target.

The inevitable challenge

Mr Rutte has experience managing governing coalitions in the Netherlands that include several parties, but he will now start managing a coalition of 32 countries. The question is how to achieve the consensus needed for all NATO decisions.

Former NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu, the longest-serving person in the post at the military alliance, believes this will be Mr Rutte's biggest challenge. "The NATO secretary general is not just a secretary, he has to be a general, politically of course," Lungescu told DW.

“He has to show the political leadership needed to push the coalition forward, because reaching consensus can take time. It can be messy, it can be frustrating, but it is important to show political direction and show progress,” Lungescu said, believing that Mr Rutte’s long experience in maintaining Dutch coalition governments will serve him well in the future.

There will also be inevitable challenges for whoever takes over as NATO secretary general at a time of ongoing conflict in Europe.

London-based think tank Chatham House said Mr Rutte would have three priorities to pursue in the current context. The first priority is to maintain US support for Ukraine while increasing EU and European support for Kiev.

The second priority is to keep US engagement in Europe as strong as it has been under a Joe Biden administration after the US presidential election in November will result in either Harris or Trump taking over the White House.

The third priority, and the biggest policy challenge for Mr Rutte, is to deploy a new force model that ensures NATO members in Europe can effectively defend Europe.

Minh Duc (According to DW, Chatham House, Atlantic Council)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/tan-tong-thu-ky-nato-mark-rutte-nham-chuc-vao-thoi-diem-buoc-ngoat-204240930111013897.htm