Outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte selected as next NATO chief
NATO allies on Wednesday selected outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the alliance’s next chief, news agencies reported.
Mark RutteEPA/ZIPI via PAP
The decision comes amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and uncertainty over the United States’ future approach to the transatlantic alliance, the Reuters news agency reported.
Rutte’s appointment became a formality after his only rival for the post, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, announced last week that he was withdrawing from the race, according to Britain’s The Guardian newspaper.
Rutte is expected to take over when the incumbent NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, steps down on October 1 after nearly a decade at the helm.
Rutte, 57, is a strong supporter of Ukraine and takes the reins of the Western military alliance after nearly 14 years as Dutch prime minister and 18 as leader of his liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, The Guardian reported.
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Source: Reuters, The Guardian
