Former Dutch PM Mark Rutte Set To Replace Jens Stoltenberg As NATO Secretary-General

Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is set to become the new NATO Secretary General. The outgoing prime minister of The Netherlands is set to replace Jens Stoltenberg for the NATO top job in October.

The confirmation of the Dutch PM's new role comes after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew his candidacy for the post of Secretary-General at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Before Iohannis, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also dropped his candidacy and endorsed Rutte for the post.

Following a sideline meeting with EU officials, the Hungarian PM wrote - "We reached an important agreement with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. We agreed that no Hungarian personnel will take part in the activities of NATO in Ukraine and no Hungarian funds will be used to support them."

"Our next step this week was to ensure that this agreement can stand the test of time. After yesterday’s meeting in Brussels, PM Mark Rutte confirmed that he fully supports this deal and will continue to do so, should he become the next Secretary General of NATO," Orban added further, confirming Hungary's endorsement for Rutte.

Mark Rutte is set to take over the leadership of NATO by October 2, 2024, a month before the US Elections where President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will go head-to-head in a rematch.

Mark Rutte served as the Prime Minister of The Netherlands for a total of 13 years. He first assumed office in 2010 and since then as severed as the PM.

However, in July 2023, Rutte announced his resignation as the prime minister and leader of the VVD party after the coalition government failed to reach a consensus regarding the immigration crisis in the country.