Defense alliance: Secretary General Stoltenberg remains with NATO

Jens Stoltenberg is to remain Secretary General of NATO for another year. The 31 member states agreed to extend the Norwegian’s mandate until October 1, 2024. Previous attempts by member states to agree on another candidate had failed.

Stoltenberg himself had stated several times in the past few months that he was not actually aiming for another term. According to information from those around him, he is now continuing “out of a sense of duty” and in view of the many tasks due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

NATO said the allies thanked the Secretary General for his leadership and commitment. In view of “unprecedented security policy challenges, these are of crucial importance for maintaining transatlantic unity”. Stoltenberg said he was honored by the Allies’ decision to extend his tenure. Otherwise it would actually have expired at the end of September.

Potential successors disputed

In recent months, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace have been considered possible candidates to succeed the 64-year-old. However, both were not without controversy.

The argument against Wallace in EU countries was that he was never head of state or government and that he did not come from an EU country. Opponents of Frederiksen pointed out, among other things, that the important NATO post should not be filled again with someone from the north. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who could need a new job in just under three weeks after the early parliamentary elections, was recently mentioned as an alternative.

In view of the difficult search for a new NATO Secretary General, more and more NATO countries had recently shown themselves open to a further extension of the Stoltenberg Treaty. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said a few weeks ago that if no agreement could be reached on the successor, the Western Defense Alliance could not stand without Secretary General. That’s why he would be in favor of an extension, especially since he appreciates working with Stoltenberg.

Again and again praise for leadership

Even clearer support came from the US government, which recently repeatedly publicly praised Stoltenberg for his leadership since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. And so after the extension: With his experience and judgment, the Norwegian has led the alliance through the most important challenges to European security since World War II, said President Joe Biden.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the extension and is looking forward to “continued good cooperation”, as the SPD politician wrote on Twitter. “NATO is our strong alliance and remains the central guarantor of our collective security.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on Twitter: “Under Jens Stoltenberg’s leadership, NATO has evolved to meet new threats, continued to protect our people and has been consistent in supporting Ukraine.” He looks forward to continuing this work with Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg in office for nine years

Stoltenberg has been NATO Secretary General for almost nine years now. His term of office was last extended by another year to September 30, 2023 in March 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Actually, the former Norwegian head of government announced his departure last year. The plan was to return home. Stoltenberg could have become head of the Norwegian central bank there.

In the history of the alliance, Stoltenberg is already the second longest-serving Secretary General. The Dutchman Joseph Luns has been the Alliance’s highest international official for the longest time. He served from 1971 to 1984.

Stoltenberg has gained recognition above all as a skilled mediator between the sometimes very different interests of the now 31 NATO countries. He is particularly credited with moderating the dispute over defense spending by the European allies, which escalated during the tenure of US President Donald Trump. Trump even threatened at times that the United States would leave the alliance. Most recently, Stoltenberg coordinated the alliance’s response to the Russian war against Ukraine and campaigned for extensive arms deliveries to the attacked country.

New NATO Secretary General in the coming year?

The downside for him is that the renewed extension of his contract could give the impression that NATO cannot agree on anyone new. Alliance circles actually said at the beginning of the year that, along with France, Germany and Great Britain also preferred a change in leadership this fall – despite Stoltenberg’s proven qualities.

In order to leave no doubt that Stoltenberg has the backing, the decision to extend the contract is to be confirmed again by the heads of state and government next week at the NATO summit in Lithuania. A successor for the Norwegian could then be announced in the summer of next year at the big anniversary summit to mark 75 years of NATO in Washington – if the member states can agree by then.