What happened
Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is set to become the next secretary general of NATO after his lone challenger, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, dropped his bid Thursday.
Who said what
Securing the support of all 32 NATO members "took a very long time," but "it's an honor that it appears to have happened," Rutte said. Romania, the last holdout, endorsed Rutte's candidacy after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán dropped his opposition Tuesday.
Iohannas joined the race to lead NATO amid grumbling from Central and Eastern European members about the prospect of yet another Western European leader when the alliance's biggest crisis was Russia's Ukraine war, on NATO's eastern flank. Rutte, who spent 14 years as Dutch prime minister, "is known for his pragmatism, his skill for building coalitions and his staunch transatlantic views," Politico said. He has been "so adept at preventing political stains sticking to him that he earned the nickname Teflon Mark," The Associated Press said.
What next?
NATO ambassadors are expected to formalize Rutte's selection within days, before a July 9-11 summit in Washington, D.C. He would take over from outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in October.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
October 4 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday's political cartoons include the Einstein files, defunding the police, and an odd tribute to Jane Goodall
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipeThe Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Under siege: Argentina’s president drops his chainsawTalking Point The self-proclaimed ‘first anarcho-capitalist president in world history’ faces mounting troubles
-
Ukraine: Trump’s latest stalling tacticFeature Trump plans to impose sanctions on Russia only if all 31 NATO states join in and agree to ban Russian oil imports
-
Russian drone tests Romania as Trump spinsSpeed Read Trump is ‘resisting congressional plans to impose newer and tougher penalties on Russia’s energy sector’
-
Nadine Menendez gets 4.5 years in bribery caseSpeed Read Menendez's husband was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison
-
Koreans detained in US Hyundai raid return homeSpeed Read Over 300 Koreans were detained at the plant last week
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup attemptSpeed Read Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting to stay in power following his 2022 election loss
-
Former top FBI agents sue, claiming Trump purgeSpeed Read The agents alleged they were targeted by a “campaign of retribution”
-
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk shot dead at 31Speed Read Kirk was holding a debate session at Utah Valley University
-
Judge lets Cook stay at Fed while appealing ousterSpeed Read Trump had attempted to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud
