Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán officially backs Rutte as next NATO Chief

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is endorsing Mark Rutte as the next secretary-general of NATO. Orbán obstructed the appointment for several months but had a "good conversation" with the outgoing Dutch prime minister on Monday. He said during the meeting that he was willing to endorse him.

Romania is the only country that has not announced its support for Rutte, with a unanimous decision needed to fill the top position. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is also a candidate to replace the outgoing secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, but he no longer has the support of any of the allied nations.

Rutte promised Orbán on Monday that he would send a letter discussing the Hungarian prime minister's two conditions in exchange for his support. He reaffirmed that as NATO chief he would give Hungary the space to exclude itself from contributing to support that NATO could conceivably provide to Ukraine. Rutte wrote that Hungary does not need to contribute money or personnel for such an effort.

He will also discuss his past comments about Hungary that the politicians in Budapest considered to be disrespectful. Rutte wrote, "some comments I made in 2021 as Prime Minister of the Netherlands have caused dissatisfaction in Hungary." As NATO chief, he said he will work "to maintain unity and treat all allies with the same degree of understanding and respect."

Rutte said at an EU summit in 2021 that Hungary had "no business being in the EU" if the country passed a controversial law that would violate the equality and human rights of people in the LGBTQ community. Rutte also said he would strive to make the country get on "its knees" to apologize over that issue. Sources said the outgoing prime minister did not intend to apologize for the offending statements. He emphasized after the conversation on Monday that Orbán did not ask for an apology, "although that was the suspicion."

Orbán shared the letter on X and reported that Hungary is now "ready to support PM Rutte's bid for NATO Secretary-General." Rutte's commitment would assure Budapest that the agreements with NATO "stand the test of time."

Hungary was one of the last major obstacles standing between Rutte and the position of secretary general for the alliance. The country has not hesitated when delaying punitive measures against Russia, aid for Ukraine, or Sweden’s accession to NATO.

The United States wanted to speed up Rutte’s appointment. The country was an early supporter behind the Dutch prime minister’s candidacy. The NATO summit will be held next month in Washington D.C., and all 32 members standing behind a single candidate for secretary general is a sign of NATO’s unity and strength.