Decision over new NATO boss likely shelved till June: report

Mark Rutte may have to wait longer before finding out whether he will become the new Secretary General of NATO. The decision on the top position within the military alliance will likely be postponed to June, sources close to the Dutch government and European diplomats told AD.

The expectation was that Jens Stoltenberg’s successor would be announced in April. But that timeline now seems impossible to achieve. The 32 countries currently in NATO must unanimously agree to a candidate. Romania and Hungary have both openly opposed Rutte’s appointment.

On Wednesday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that his country “certainly cannot support a man” who previously tried to “bring Hungary to its knees” for NATO chief. He was referring to a statement Rutte made three years ago when Hungary adopted anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.

These open protests have “shifted the timeline,” a source close to the Dutch government told AD. They also create space for other countries to “ask for things” in exchange for supporting Rutte, the sources said. “That is particularly inconvenient for the Netherlands.”

Hungary has a habit of asking for things in exchange for support, the sources said. “This feels very transactional, and we know that from Viktor Orbán,” a Brussels diplomat said to the newspaper. For example, the Hungarian Prime Minister long opposed allowing Sweden into NATO until after Hungary got a favorable deal on Swedish fighter jets. It’s not clear what he wants from the Netherlands, the diplomats said.

The delay may be stressful for Rutte, but it is not terrible news for the Netherlands, with the Cabinet formation process showing little progress. It gives negotiators two more months to get a coalition together before Rutte faces the decision of whether to step down as outgoing Prime Minister if he gets the NATO job.