Atlantic Alliance: Mark Rutte is the new NATO Secretary General

Now it’s official: Jens Stoltenberg has handed over his position at the top of NATO to Mark Rutte. The newcomer is considered an extremely experienced foreign policy expert, but complex tasks await him.

Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is the new NATO Secretary General. The 57-year-old took over the post on Tuesday at the Defense Alliance’s Brussels headquarters from Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, who had been in office for around ten years.

Rutte was chosen by the 32 NATO member states in early summer. He should hold the top post for at least four years, after which his mandate could be renewed.

Challenges in the midst of global crises

During these four years, Rutte has taken on a central role: the NATO Secretary General has to forge compromises between the member states. Because he can also make suggestions for action, he plays a crucial role, especially in times of crisis or conflict. He is also the head of personnel and heads the NATO headquarters as the top administrative official. All of these tasks make him a key figure in security policy.

NATO is the most important security policy alliance in the world. It connects the security interests of Europe and North America. It now has 32 member countries. In the event of an attack, the states have committed themselves to supporting each other.

The change of power from Stoltenberg to Rutte takes place at a time of many crises. The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine is raging at the borders of the defense alliance. In the past, Stoltenberg persistently advocated for the greatest possible support for Ukraine with Western weapons systems. Ukraine can hope that Rutte will continue on this course. “We must ensure that Ukraine can exist as a sovereign, independent, democratic nation,” emphasized the Dutchman.

Russia does not expect NATO to change course under the new Secretary General, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies. Russia repeatedly states that it sees its security threatened by NATO. With this justification, Moscow is waging war against Ukraine in order to prevent the country from joining the alliance.

A particularly big challenge for the Dutchman could come from the USA. If former US President Donald Trump wins against Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at the beginning of November, NATO’s cohesion is in jeopardy. Statements by the Republican in the past had raised doubts as to whether the US would fully commit to providing assistance under his leadership. At times, Trump even threatened to withdraw the USA from the alliance. Stoltenberg acted as a skillful mediator and moderated, among other things, the dispute over European allies’ defense spending that escalated during Trump’s term in office.

Rutte is considered a “Trump whisperer”

The Dutchman also has experience dealing with Trump – he even earned a reputation as a “Trump whisperer.” During a meeting with Rutte in 2019, Trump said he and Rutte had become friends. He described relations between the Netherlands and the USA as better than ever before. Rutte is believed to have a certain influence on Trump. Shortly after taking office, Rutte expressed himself as relaxed. “I respect them both very much,” he said of candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. He is absolutely confident that both “see what is necessary” when it comes to further support for Ukraine.

The Dutchman even found words of praise for Trump. He emphasized that the allies had increased their defense spending since 2018 – “thanks to him”. He was referring to a NATO summit at which the former US president urged the allies to spend more.

An experienced crisis manager

Even beyond his reputation as a “Trump whisperer,” Rutte has many years of experience in international politics. The trained historian was head of government of the Netherlands for almost 14 years. He is seen as someone who can hold the store together. “He sees himself as a problem solver, as a manager,” says his biographer, the renowned columnist Sheila Sitalsing – as a “manager of the Netherlands company.”

Until now, Norwegian Stoltenberg has “managed” NATO. The 65-year-old held the office for ten years. After his departure, Stoltenberg is now set to take on a new, important position: According to media reports, he will replace Christoph Heusgen as head of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) next year. Corresponding reports were confirmed to the German Press Agency from several sources.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) congratulated Rutte and wrote to him: “You can rely on my personal support and the support of the federal government.” The unity with which the alliance responded to the Russian attack against Ukraine will continue to be a guarantee of common security in the future.