Prime Minister Rutte will become the new NATO Secretary General

The news came after Mr. Rutte received support from Hungary and Slovakia. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on June 18 that he would endorse his counterpart Rutte for the NATO leadership position, after receiving a commitment that Budapest would not have to send troops or mobilize funds to support Ukraine under the alliance's plan.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington DC, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not confirm or deny the information that the alliance had chosen a successor, according to Reuters on June 18.

NATO has found a new leader

"With the announcement from Prime Minister Orban, I think it's clear that we are very close to concluding the selection of the next secretary-general, and I think this is a good thing," Mr. Stoltenberg said, praising the Dutch Prime Minister as a strong and experienced candidate.

Slovakia also supported Mr. Rutte on June 18, with a request that the next NATO leader strengthen the policy of protecting Slovakia's airspace. Currently, only Romania has not declared its support. According to the rules, a candidate must receive support from all NATO members, currently 32 countries, to become a leader.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte

Mr. Stoltenberg was a former Prime Minister of Norway, before becoming NATO Secretary General in 2014. His term will end on October 1. During Mr. Stoltenberg's 10 years leading the alliance, NATO has added four new members, including Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced in October 2023 that he would leave Dutch politics, after previously announcing his resignation. He will lead the caretaker government until a new government is formed. Mark Rutte is the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history, having been in power since 2010.

According to The Guardian , the NATO summit in July will likely be the time when the alliance announces its new leader.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/truyen-hinh-ha-lan-thu-tuong-rutte-se-tro-thanh-tan-tong-thu-ky-nato-185240619094547172.htm