Rutte is the favourite to succeed Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General in October, with the support of the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The United States has expressed strong support for Rutte, while the UK and France have also voiced their backing. German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit praised Rutte as an outstanding candidate.
Despite informal discussions of other potential candidates, Rutte is considered the only official candidate for the post. Some analysts predict opposition from Turkey and Hungary, but with the support of the alliance’s predominant powers and 16 other NATO members, Rutte is in a strong position.
Rutte, who had previously ruled himself out for the NATO post, now sees it as a “very interesting” job and is open to the prospect. As the Netherlands’ longest-serving leader, Rutte has good relationships with various leaders, including Donald Trump. With NATO facing challenges including Russia’s war against Ukraine and Trump’s questioning of his commitment to defending NATO allies, Rutte has urged European leaders to focus on bolstering defense and helping Ukraine.
NATO leaders are appointed by consensus, and the alliance currently has 31 members.