As the only contender, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, withdrew from the campaign to become the next head of NATO, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte secured the victory on Thursday at a critical juncture for the alliance.
The 32 member countries of NATO are anticipated to formally nominate the experienced politician,57, in the next days. He is set to succeed current commander Jens Stoltenberg, whose term expires on October 1.
Rutte’s appointment comes at a dangerous time for the Western allies, as Donald Trump struggles to win back the president in the United States in November and Russia continues its war in Ukraine.
Rutte, a fervent supporter of Ukraine who staked his claim for the position last year when his coalition fell apart, swiftly gained the backing of major powers including the US, UK, France, and Germany.
However, he had to overcome skeptics led by Turkey and Hungary by employing all the diplomatic acumen he had developed during his nearly 14 years as the Netherlands’ leader.
After overcoming Turkey’s hesitation with a visit to Istanbul in April, Rutte eventually reached an agreement with Viktor Orban of Hungary during a summit of the European Union this week.
The final issue was that Iohannis, whose unexpected candidacy had caused a rift among allies, was counting on Rutte’s appointment to go smoothly in front of the NATO summit in Washington the following month.
Romania’s security council on Thursday announced Iohannis had formally withdrawn and that the country backed Rutte.
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