Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been officially appointed as the next Secretary-General for NATO. Welcoming Rutte to the post, outgoing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg congratulated his successor.
Taking to social media platform X, the outgoing NATO chief stated - I warmly welcome #NATO Allies' choice of Mark Rutte as my successor.
Stoltenberg referred to the former Dutch PM as a "true transatlanticist, a strong leader and a consensus-builder," adding that NATO will be in "good hands" under Rutte's leadership.
As per an official statement from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Rutte will "assume his functions as Secretary General from 1 October 2024, when Mr Stoltenberg's term expires after ten years at the helm of the Alliance".
Rutte applied for the post in 2023 and was supported by key members of the Western alliance such as the United States, France, Germany and Britain.
Rutte's appointment as the next NATO chief was finalised after Romanian President Klaus Iohanni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban quit the race for the post.
During his term as the NATO Chief, Rutte is expected to face the challenge of sustaining support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Rutte, who is staunch supporter of Ukraine amid the conflict with Russia, may also have to deal with the return of Donald Trump as US President after the Presidential elections in November
Who Is Mark Rutte?
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 served as the Dutch leader.
In July 2023, Rutte tendered his resignation as the VVD party leader and dissolved the government after the coalition government failed to reach a consensus regarding the immigration crisis in the country.
