Dutch Prime Minister Rutte Set to Lead NATO as Sole Rival Withdraws

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is set to become the next secretary general of Nato after his only rival dropped out of the race. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis informed the military alliance he was withdrawing his bid at the end of last week. The two had been vying to replace the incumbent Jens Stoltenberg, whose term expires in October. While Mr Rutte is the only remaining candidate in the race, he is yet to be officially confirmed by member states. Mr Rutte, 57, will inherit overseeing Nato's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as the job of maintaining the US's commitment to the alliance if Donald Trump is re-elected as president. Mr Rutte has been credited with dealing positively with Mr Trump in the past. He told a security conference in February that Europe should work "with whoever is on the dance floor". Mr Rutte put his hat in the ring for Nato's top job after saying he would leave politics in wake of the collapse of his coalition government last summer. Mr Rutte's support of Ukraine and his 14-year stint at the top of European politics earned him candidacy endorsement from many Nato members, including key players in the UK, US, France, and Germany. However, three member nations - Hungary, Romania, and Turkey - initially held out. On Tuesday, Hungary withdrew its opposition after the Dutch leader agreed Budapest would not be obliged to commit military aid to Ukraine. After Mr Iohannis withdrew his candidacy, he asked his Romania's defense council to throw its support behind Mr Rutte, which they did. The next Nato summit is due to be held in Washington DC in July. Mark Rutte, the outgoing Dutch prime minister, has clinched the race to become the next head of Nato at a pivotal time for the alliance, after his sole challenger Klaus Iohannis, the Romanian president, pulled out. The veteran politician, 57, is expected to be formally appointed by Nato’s 32 nations in the coming days and should take over from Jens Stoltenberg when the current secretary general’s term ends on Oct 1. Rutte will have a lot on his plate when he takes the reins from Norway’s former premier Stoltenberg, who has led the alliance since 2014. Rutte will become the fourth Dutchman to lead NATO since it emerged from the ashes of World War II to confront the Soviet Union.