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NATO's New Secretary General Mark Rutte Prepares to Take on Russia, Trump
COMPLETE HEADLINE:
NATO’s New Chief Prepares to Take on Putin With Dutch Pragmatism
Newsletter: Brussels Edition
NATO Gets a New Secretary General at a Turbulent Time
FLASHBACK
Nato's new Chief Rutte prepares to take on Putin with Dutch pragmatism
Rutte will also have to handle pressure from some members to devote more attention to counter-terrorism and reinforce Nato's southern flank
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The challenge of keeping the Cold War alliance a geopolitical force is in the hands of Dutchman Mark Rutte. Photo: Reuters
Last Updated : Oct 01 2024 | 10:25 AM IST
By Andrea Palasciano and Cagan Koc
Affable in public but meticulous behind the scenes, the former prime minister of the Netherlands becomes secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday as the 32-nation defense pact enters a pivotal period.
- If Trump wins the US election in November, transatlantic support will be in doubt, posing an existential threat to the alliance set up in 1949.
- That would destabilize Europe’s security architecture with Russia’s war in Ukraine in its third year and Kyiv reliant on a steady stream of military and financial aid for its defense.
It’s a far cry from 2014, when Rutte’s predecessor Jens Stoltenberg was warned by his father that he faced “boring years” running the Brussels-based organization.
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Known for his people skills, Rutte — an HR-manager-turned-politician — has shown he can handle difficult situations, and after nearly 14 years running the Dutch government, he has a deep network to draw upon.
“He knows the EU and all its leaders by heart. And he has dealt with Trump,” said Camille Grand, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations and a former senior NATO official.
“Politically, he will hit the ground running.”
His reputation for being able to manage Trump could be particularly valuable. Before meeting the then-president for the first time in 2018, Rutte was determined to build a relationship with him but also stand his ground, so he practiced his handshake and studied Trump’s habits of putting people on the spot, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The former Dutch leader subsequently managed to avoid public humiliation and appeared to maintain a good working relationship with Trump, unlike many other European leaders. . .
- His standing with Trump though could change, especially since Rutte owes his position largely to Joe Biden. Trump’s adversary pleaded with the Dutchman more than once to take the NATO helm.
- One approach was in 2022, which he turned down to stay in power in the Netherlands.
- But then his coalition collapsed a year later, opening the door for another push.
While Trump has been openly critical of aid for Ukraine, Rutte is a staunch supporter. That stance stems in part from his emotional response to the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014 which killed nearly 200 Dutch citizens and has been blamed on Russia.
“There has never been anything bigger and this will always remain number one by far in the 14 years that I have been doing this job,” he told a Dutch radio show earlier this year.
“There has never been anything bigger and this will always remain number one by far in the 14 years that I have been doing this job,” he told a Dutch radio show earlier this year.
- Despite that conviction, the Netherlands hasn’t provided as much aid as some other European peers — ranking ninth in terms of support for Kyiv as a percentage of the national economy. The Netherlands also only crossed the NATO threshold of spending at least 2% of GDP on defense this year. Part of that is due to the complexities in his fragmented coalition.
He was instrumental in convincing the US of the need to send F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian defense.
The Netherlands itself plans to transfer 24 of the jet fighters to Kyiv, as well as making 18 available for training.
LIFE HISTORY
- A gifted piano player, he initially wanted to pursue a musical career, but ended up graduating in history and joining the human resources department of consumer goods company Unilever.
- He then entered politics full time after an active role in the youth organization of the center-right VVD — known as the Dutch liberals.
- Known for biking or driving a second-hand Saab in The Hague,
- he was known for paying for his own coffee and
- not requesting reimbursement for costs incurred on duty.
- He also taught at a secondary school in his hometown throughout his premiership, famously showing up for his weekly social studies class even after his cabinet collapsed in 2023.
The NATO job wasn’t his first choice after leaving Dutch politics.
- He had initially set his sights on leading the European Commission but had to relent after it became clear that Ursula von der Leyen was set for a second term.
- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis was also in the running and backed by eastern Europeans, who were initially reluctant to support Rutte because of concerns over an imbalance in the alliance.
- He will need to be careful to navigate those sensibilities.
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