Rutte likely next NATO Secretary General

[Open Source Intelligence]

Politico's National Security Daily:

SECGEN RUTTE?: More than 20 countries support Dutch Prime Minister MARK RUTTE’s bid to be the next NATO secretary general, our own STUART LAU reports, with about 10 more nations left to make their preference known.

It’s unclear if the U.S. is one of those nations.

“After very intense rounds of discussions among the allies we are now at the point where over 20 NATO allies are prepared to support Prime Minister Rutte as the next secretary-general,” a NATO official told Lau. Rutte, who has been campaigning for the job since November, is the only name put forward by the alliance’s 31 member governments, the official said.

The official added that the discussions “are not final” but added: “There is increasing momentum behind his candidacy.”

Estonian Prime Minister KAJA KALLAS expressed interest in the NATO top job during an event hosted by POLITICO in November. But NATO officials say she’s not in the mix since she has not declared her candidacy. The same goes for Latvia’s Foreign Minister KRIŠJĀNIS KARIŅŠ, who did a mini media tour last year to test the waters.

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

The only way to fail these days is upwards.

[Zinneke]

The only way to fail these days is upwards.

I disagree, I think if you compare Rutte to Michel, Von Der Leyen and other insane picks for these kind of top jobs, you can at least recognise he's an overall better operator. Stoltenberg has been good but Rutte might have to play the role of the Trump Whisperer and he can play it better than whichever goody two shoes would be proposed in his place (Marin for example).

That he led the Netherlands to the housing and public services crisis was by design, not incompetence. He's a neo-liberal who favours the deliberate withholding of supply to support big capital. You can oppose his politics while also recognising his abilities.

[Hindsight was 2020]

The only way to fail these days is upwards.

I disagree, I think if you compare Rutte to Michel, Von Der Leyen and other insane picks for these kind of top jobs, you can at least recognise he's an overall better operator. Stoltenberg has been good but Rutte might have to play the role of the Trump Whisperer and he can play it better than whichever goody two shoes would be proposed in his place (Marin for example).

That he led the Netherlands to the housing and public services crisis was by design, not incompetence. He's a neo-liberal who favours the deliberate withholding of supply to support big capital. You can oppose his politics while also recognising his abilities.

On the one hand I personally would prefer the NATO Secretary General coming from a nation that has more skin in the game like the Baltics but you do make a good point on Rutte being a smarter bureaucrat type who could navigate a world were Trump comes back

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Rutte is a good choice.

[CumbrianLefty]

I think a good summary is "uninspiring, but solid".

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I think a good summary is "uninspiring, but solid".

Quite.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

The only way to fail these days is upwards.

I disagree, I think if you compare Rutte to Michel, Von Der Leyen and other insane picks for these kind of top jobs, you can at least recognise he's an overall better operator. Stoltenberg has been good but Rutte might have to play the role of the Trump Whisperer and he can play it better than whichever goody two shoes would be proposed in his place (Marin for example).

That he led the Netherlands to the housing and public services crisis was by design, not incompetence. He's a neo-liberal who favours the deliberate withholding of supply to support big capital. You can oppose his politics while also recognising his abilities.

On the one hand I personally would prefer the NATO Secretary General coming from a nation that has more skin in the game like the Baltics but you do make a good point on Rutte being a smarter bureaucrat type who could navigate a world were Trump comes back

MH17 means the Netherlands is closer than most of Western Europe to the Baltics in at least some of the respects that matter.

[Silent Hunter]

The only way to fail these days is upwards.

It's a fairly common thing for PMs of smaller European countries to end up in roles in like this after they leave the premiership.

Jans Stoltenberg was twice Norwegian PM; most of his predecessors held high-level ministerial posts before getting the job:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_General_of_NATO#List_of_officeholders

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The only way to fail these days is upwards.

It's a fairly common thing for PMs of smaller European countries to end up in roles in like this after they leave the premiership.

Jans Stoltenberg was twice Norwegian PM; most of his predecessors held high-level ministerial posts before getting the job:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_General_of_NATO#List_of_officeholders

On a sidenote, how did Italy monopolize the Deputy Secretary General position from 1971 to 2012?

[mileslunn]

I could see Chrystia Freeland being another possibility.  She is of Ukrainian descent and has taken a very hard line on Ukraine.  She is generally well respected in establishment circles.  And with Trudeau not likely to step down before election and party likely to lose this would be a good exit.  Main problem for her is Canada is one of the furthest from committing 2% of GDP to defense spending.

[MayorCarcetti]

I could see Chrystia Freeland being another possibility.  She is of Ukrainian descent and has taken a very hard line on Ukraine.  She is generally well respected in establishment circles.  And with Trudeau not likely to step down before election and party likely to lose this would be a good exit.  Main problem for her is Canada is one of the furthest from committing 2% of GDP to defense spending.

Freeland was mentioned as a possibility last year but seems like there was a consensus that the candidate should be European, plus Canada's lack of defence of spending you mentioned also hurt her chances.

[President Johnson]

Overall a solid choice.

Nonetheless I think Kaja Kallas would have been an interesting choice, becoming to first woman to lead NATO. She's also very outspoken in her opposition to the Kremlin.

[Flyersfan232]

I could see Chrystia Freeland being another possibility.  She is of Ukrainian descent and has taken a very hard line on Ukraine.  She is generally well respected in establishment circles.  And with Trudeau not likely to step down before election and party likely to lose this would be a good exit.  Main problem for her is Canada is one of the furthest from committing 2% of GDP to defense spending.

that would be a pr nightmare for nato