Slovakia still undecided about Rutte as next NATO leader

Slovakia was still undecided about whether it will back outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next leader of NATO. “We are still discussing this,” said Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini at European Union meetings on Monday.

Rutte currently has the support from 29 of 32 NATO allies to replace Jens Stoltenberg as secretary-general when he steps down this year. All NATO countries must vote unanimously on its next leader.

For Slovakia "it is of course crucial to know how Eastern and Central Europe are represented in this whole package," Pellegrini said upon arriving for meetings with EU leaders about the staffing of top EU posts. His region has not received enough attention in recent years, and the Slovak president wants that situation to be addressed.

Slovakia, Romania and Hungary are the remaining NATO countries that have not yet expressed their support for Rutte. Romania has its own candidate in President Klaus Iohannis. Until ten days ago, Hungary had indicated it would prefer Iohannis, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had only distaste for Rutte's candidacy.

Orbán seemed to open the door to the Dutch politician by saying that he needed assurance that Hungary could avoid supporting Ukraine militarily if NATO allies are not attacked within their own countries. Stoltenberg provided Orbán with that guarantee last week.

The other demand from the Hungarian is that Rutte apologize for past statements made about the Central European country. Like his outspoken foreign affairs minister, Orbán complained about Rutte's remarks suggesting that Hungary should exit the EU or should get on "its knees" to apologize over human rights laws targetting sexual minorities. Orbán said earlier this month that he "expects Rutte" to make it clear that he respects Hungary.