The Danish Prime Minister receives an invitation to meet with Joe Biden. Is it about the succession of NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg?
Brussels - The timing seems very inopportune, but in the middle of the Ukraine war, the defense alliance of the Western world is losing its boss: Jens Stoltenberg is resigning from his post as NATO Secretary General to become head of the Norwegian central bank instead. Since the announcement of Stoltenberg's departure, speculation has been running hot: Who will be his successor?
But a visit to the White House is now making people sit up and take notice. U.S. President Joe Biden will host Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on June 5, according to a statement from the U.S. government. The two want to review their efforts to "strengthen transatlantic security" and discuss "unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal war of aggression," the statement said.
"Don't have an application with me": Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen meets with US President Joe Biden. © Imago (montage)
Meeting with Joe Biden raises speculation about NATO successor
So could Frederiksen become Jens Stoltenberg's successor? According to a report in Politico magazine, the Dane turns out to be a "serious contender for the leadership of NATO". The report quotes two European diplomats who classified Frederiksen as a "serious candidate" but wished to remain anonymous. "It is actually being seriously considered by a number of larger allies," one of them is quoted as saying.
However, according to a report in the Danish newspaper Politiken, Mette Frederiksen herself denied rumours that she was seeking the office of NATO chief: "I have no application for any job other than the post of prime minister in Denmark," the 45-year-old stressed in view of her trip to the USA. "I've been invited to visit President Biden and I'm looking forward to it." She wanted to talk to him about the Ukraine war and the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, among other things.
NATO is looking for a successor to Stoltenberg - US president must agree
Traditionally, someone from Europe takes over the leadership of the transatlantic defense alliance, but the US must give its consent before doing so. In recent months, several names have already been traded. Former British heads of state Theresa May and Boris Johnson, for example, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
In an interview with Merkur.de, CDU politician and ex-NATO employee Roderich Kiesewetter pleaded for an Eastern European politician at the head of NATO, favoring Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. EU Council President Ursula von der Leyen, who has also been traded as NATO chief, on the other hand, he does not see as suitable.
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Mette Frederiksen as head of NATO? What speaks for and against them
The Danish head of state, on the other hand, seems to meet several important requirements for the office of NATO chief - but there are also points that speak against her:
- Plus: Frederiksen is a woman. Since all previous NATO secretaries-general were men, there are efforts to appoint a woman this time.
- Plus: Frederiksen is head of government. A person with political weight and government experience is being sought for the post.
- Plus point: Frederiksen's positioning in the Ukraine war. The Dane represents a middle ground between countries such as Germany on the one hand, which struggled with the so-called turning point, and Eastern European countries on the other, which are very combative because of their acute threat to Russia. One of the diplomats quoted by Politico stressed that the Dane had "behaved quite solidly" in the course of the Ukraine war.
- Minus: Frederiksen is from Denmark. The country held the post of NATO chief only a few years ago: Danish ex-Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen was NATO Secretary General from 2009 to 2014
- On the downside, Denmark is lagging behind in NATO spending. In 2022, the country spent around 1.38% of its gross domestic product on defense, missing the two percent target that member states have committed to. However, some other countries - including Germany - are not fulfilling the obligation either.
Stoltenberg's term as NATO Secretary General was recently extended due to the Ukraine war, but expires at the end of September. In February, he had rejected reports of a possible further extension of his term of office. The Norwegian has led the alliance since the end of 2014.
On the question of who leads the organization, the 30 member states of the alliance usually agree behind the scenes. As a rule, an American is the military commander-in-chief, while the secretary-general comes from the ranks of the other, mostly European, member states. (smu with material from dpa)
