By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BRUSSELS/THE HAGUE/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The NATO military alliance appointed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general after Hungary and Romania withdrew their opposition.
Rutte, who will lead the world’s biggest security organization as war rages in Ukraine, said it was a “tremendous honor” to take over from current NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
“The Alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security. Leading this organization is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I’m grateful to all the Allies for placing their trust in me,” Rutte added on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
NATO ambassadors sealed Rutte’s appointment during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts will formally welcome him to their table at a summit in Washington on July 9-11.
Rutte, 57 and still single without children, takes over from Stoltenberg, who spent more than a decade at the helm.
MANDATE EXTENDED
His mandate was repeatedly extended, in part to provide continuity after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, creating Europe’s most significant security crisis since World War Two.
“I look forward to taking up the position with great vigor” on October 1 “as successor to Jens Stoltenberg, who has provided NATO with outstanding leadership for the past ten years, and for whom I have always had great admiration,” Rutte wrote.
“I warmly welcome NATO allies’ choice of Mark Rutte as my successor,” Stoltenberg said.
Rutte, often called “Teflon Mark” for his ability to remain in government despite scandals, is seen as a professional politician who can lead NATO through turbulent times.
As one of the longest-serving European leaders, he has had a good working relationship with the current U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald J. Trump, say friends and foes.
He said farewell to the Dutch Parliament this week, recalling that it had been an honor to have had some 500 debates since he became prime minister in 2010. “Every time my heart beats faster when I walk towards the parliament, the heart of democracy,” he told legislators.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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