As of: March 9, 2024, 9:24 a.m
By: Marcus Mäckler
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (r.) and his possible successor Mark Rutte.
(Archive image) © Pool Sebastien Pirlet/dpa
In stormy times, NATO is looking for a new Secretary General - the big favorite is Mark Rutte.
But the “Trump whisperer” is not well received everywhere.
Munich – Someone had to counteract all this gravity and that one was Mark Rutte.
“We should stop whining, complaining and crying about Trump,” said the Dutchman with a calm that was rare at the Munich Security Conference.
He then said who would become US President was a matter for the Americans.
You have to work with everyone who ends up on the dance floor.
Trump, it should be mentioned again, had previously threatened that, if he won the election, he would hand over to Russia's mercy all those NATO states that spend too little on defense.
Concern and horror reigned in Munich, and Rutte's coolness stood out.
It was a message to everyone: Don't be afraid, I'll make even a bulldozer like Trump dance.
Mark Rutte as Stoltenberg's successor?
Dutch favorite as NATO chief
That was three weeks ago - but the Dutch Prime Minister has been considered the top candidate to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General for much longer.
The signs are becoming increasingly clear: a few days after the Siko, Washington, London and Berlin declared their support for the 57-year-old.
It's no coincidence that this happened at the same time.
One thing is clear: Rutte wants the job - even if it's not one of the most pleasant ones these days.
The NATO chief must not only remain steadfast against Putin, but also possibly defend the alliance against internal explosive forces after the US election in the fall, the time bomb Trump.
The Dutchman at least has the reputation of having that in his back.
This is mainly due to an episode from 2018. At that time, the NATO partners met in Brussels and experienced a US president who angrily threatened to withdraw from his country if the others did not increase their military spending.
Merkel, Macron, everyone talked about Trump.
In the end it is said to have been Rutte who saved the situation.
Not only did he assure the US Republican that spending had long since increased - he also flattered him by claiming that it was his doing.
Trump later said: “I like this guy!”
NATO is looking for a new Secretary General: Not every member is behind “Trump whisperer” Rutte
Since then, the liberal-conservative has been nicknamed the “Trump Whisperer,” which is intended to be appreciative and sounds much nicer than the “Teflon Mark” common in the Netherlands, the man from whom everything bounces off.
The ability to deal with difficult characters is an asset when applying for a NATO post.
Another is the support of US President Joe Biden, who recently said that he considered the Dutchman to be a natural leader who would be good for the alliance.
That was the blessing from Washington.
Without him, no one will become head of NATO.
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The new one should be announced as early as April, but at the latest in July.
However, it is not entirely certain whether that will actually be Rutte.
Because there needs to be unanimity among the 32 members - and especially in Eastern Europe, people are not completely happy with the election.
Hungary is once again out of line and has announced that it will not support Rutte.
There is also skepticism among the NATO partners who border Russia.
Unbelievable: Estonia's head of government with allegations against Rutte
Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas recently complained that a few countries were dividing up the top jobs in the EU and NATO.
Rutte would be the fourth NATO Secretary General from the Netherlands, she told Politico.
“The question arises as to whether there are first and second class countries in NATO.” Kallas also recalled that in his 13 years as head of government, Rutte never achieved NATO's two percent target.
The fact that he is now one of the loudest when it comes to defense seems unbelievable to many.
But Kallas' words also express disappointed hope.
The Estonian would have liked to become NATO chief herself, but is considered hardly acceptable because of her clearly anti-Russian stance.
At some point, they say, we will have to talk to Moscow again.
Rutte, in turn, will have to convince Estonians, Latvians and others that he is not being too soft on the Kremlin.
He is still in office as acting Prime Minister because the formation of a new government is delayed after the new elections in The Hague.
But the fact that Stoltenberg will quit as NATO chief is considered a given, and Rutte is the man to be reckoned with.
However, he is not without competition: Romania's President Klaus Iohannis has declared that he also wants to compete.
(Marcus Mäckler)