Mark Rutte, who will step down as head of the Dutch government soon, will become the new NATO secretary general for the next five years, NATO’s official website said.
The statement said:
Rutte will assume his duties as secretary-general from October 1, 2024, when Stoltenberg’s term of office expires after 10 years at the head of the alliance.
Stoltenberg backed Rutte’s election. He said:
I warmly welcome the choice of NATO allies in favour of Mark Rutte as my successor. Mark is a true supporter of the transatlantic alliance, a strong leader and a man capable of building consensus. I wish him every success as we continue to strengthen NATO. I know I am leaving NATO in good hands.
Earlier on June 20, Rutte said he planned to go on a three-month leave of absence before taking up his job in the alliance.
Mark Rutte was born on February 14, 1967 in The Hague. In 2006, he led the parliamentary faction of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (PPFD). In 2010, he led the party to victory in the parliamentary elections, at which time he became the country’s Prime Minister. In September 2022, Rutte became the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history (he had been in office for 12 years at that point).
On July 7, 2023, he tendered his resignation, stepping down as head of the NPSD on 14 August. At the moment, he continues to serve as the country’s Prime Minister due to the delayed formation of the new cabinet of the government.
On June 20, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew his candidacy for NATO Secretary General in favour of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Thus, all NATO member states supported Rutte’s candidacy for the top post in the alliance.
Having declared his interest in the post in 2023, Rutte immediately won the support of key members of the alliance, including the US, UK, France and Germany. Other countries were more reticent, especially Eastern European countries, which argued that the post should go to someone from their region for the first time.
