Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will arrive at the Parliament Palace in Granada, southern Spain, on October 5, 2023 to attend the European Political Community Summit.
Jorge Guerrero | AFP | Getty Images
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday called off his bid for the leadership of the NATO military alliance, backing the top contender for the job, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Iohannis conveyed his decision at a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council and said he informed NATO of the allied withdrawal over the weekend. According to the statement of the President of Romania Translated by CNBC.
The move effectively clears the way for outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Rutte to take over the top job in the 32-member US-led NATO military alliance, with current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg set to take over after 10 years in the job. The term ends on October 1.
The Secretary-General must have the unanimous support of NATO allies. Iohannis announced his intention to run for the leadership of the alliance back in March, championing the merits of a new Eastern European perspective amid the ongoing war in Romania’s neighbor Ukraine. Iohannis, 65, is completing his second five-year term in power in Romania, which is due to hold national elections in September.
Rutte is a staunch ally of Ukraine and widely considered the favorite in the race for Nato’s top job, but he has faced and recently overcome opposition from Hungary, which maintains friendlier relations with Russia. Two weeks ago, Budapest admitted it would not prevent the NATO alliance from deepening its military support for Ukraine in exchange for non-participation.
A few days later, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the self-proclaimed peacemaker, declare Rutte vowed to honor the deal and thus confirmed Hungary’s support for the candidacy of the Dutch prime minister.
“Following a meeting in Brussels yesterday, Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed that he fully supports the agreement and will continue to do so if he becomes the next NATO Secretary-General. In light of his commitment, Hungary is ready to support Prime Minister Rutte in joining NATO Secretary General,” Orban said.
This breaking news story is being updated.
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