Challenging NATO's leadership

Having served as the longest-serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands for 14 years, Mark Rutte is considered a seasoned politician . However, the position of Secretary-General of NATO is not an easy one for him.

New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (left) and his predecessor Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on October 1. (Source: Reuters)

Officially taking over from his predecessor Jens Stoltenberg on October 1st, Mark Rutte's desk is filled with a long list of challenges facing NATO.

First, there is the ambitious reform plan to deploy a new force model to effectively protect Europe and NATO members. Next is maintaining the ability to provide military support to Ukraine and ensuring close US engagement with Europe. These goals can only be achieved with consensus within the alliance, because NATO's capabilities depend not only on military strength but also on political unity.

However, this was a time of considerable internal debate within NATO. For example, to strengthen the defense of its eastern flank, NATO needed to persuade its members to move more military assets in this direction, a move that not all countries agreed on due to its impact on their military capabilities.

For example, NATO's military support for Ukraine has consistently faced opposition from Hungary and, more recently, Slovakia, members who argue that a political, not a military, solution is needed for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Meanwhile, transatlantic ties are at risk of weakening if former US President Donald Trump, a figure who is not particularly sympathetic to the existence of NATO, returns to power after the November 2024 election.

Experience in managing the ruling coalition in the Netherlands is not a guarantee of Mark Rutte's success as the leader of a 32-nation alliance like NATO.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thach-thuc-nguoi-cam-lai-nato-288592.html