Simply explained
Change at NATO headquarters: Dutchman Mark Rutte takes over the job of Secretary General from Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg. These tasks come to him.
A new person is moving into Brussels.
For ten years, Jens Stoltenberg headed NATO, the most powerful defense alliance in the world. On Tuesday, a Dutchman will take over the job of the 65-year-old Norwegian: Mark Rutte. Many tasks and challenges await the former Dutch head of government.
Rutte must help organize aid to Ukraine, counter Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war threats and hold the alliance together if former US President Donald Trump wins the US elections again at the beginning of November.
NATO financing is also an issue, as member states are asked to increase their defense spending to two percent of gross domestic product – a demand that not all of them meet. In addition to all these arenas, the Secretary General, as NATO’s highest international official, must lead the alliance’s deliberations and decisions. And he must ensure that the decisions are implemented.
The Secretary General represents NATO in public
The Secretary General chairs the North Atlantic Council – the Alliance’s most important policy-making body – as well as other committees. These include the Nuclear Planning Group, the NATO-Ukraine Council, the NATO-Russia Council and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. He heads NATO’s international staff, which advises, directs and provides administrative support to the national representations at headquarters, and represents NATO in public.
A lot to do. But the Secretary General is of course not alone. He is assisted by a personal office and a deputy general secretary. In addition, the entire international staff at the headquarters in Brussels supports the Secretary General directly or indirectly.
Anyone who wants to become Secretary General of NATO must meet certain requirements. As a rule, it must be a high-ranking politician from one of the 32 member states. Member states propose candidates who are then selected in informal diplomatic discussions. Only when all members have reached a consensus will the candidate be confirmed. The term of office is four years. However, at the end of this period, the Secretary General may be offered to remain in office.
Mark Rutte will have to get used to Brussels
Rutte will have to limit himself greatly in Brussels. Cycling to work like in The Hague is not possible at NATO for security reasons. The 57-year-old Dutchman will no longer be able to do his shopping without bodyguards.
In his private life, Rutte says he is happily single. The son of Protestant parents with six older siblings describes himself as a “man of habit and tradition.” As a young man, he initially dreamed of a career as a pianist. But then he studied at Leiden University and worked as a manager at Unilever.
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And what will Jens Stoltenberg do after he leaves NATO? He obviously doesn’t want to retire. According to media reports, Stoltenberg will replace Christoph Heusgen as head of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) next year. Corresponding information was confirmed to the DPA news agency by several sources.
Since its founding in 1963, the Munich Security Conference has developed into one of the most important international forums for security policy. A suitable job for the Norwegian.
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
