The race for the next NATO chief is heating up. However, it is primarily going place behind the scenes, with no obvious winner in sight, according to Voice of America.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a Norwegian, will step down at the end of September after nine years in office.
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Many alliance countries want a decision on his replacement made during or before the NATO conference in Lithuania in mid-July.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace expressed interest in the position last week. However, with multiple nations vying to nominate the first woman to the job, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has emerged as a stronger possibility.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, German European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister have all been named as prospective NATO leaders in diplomatic negotiations and media reports. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez are also regularly named.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is expected to step down in September and the race to be the next leader of the military alliance is heating up. But it is a race run largely in the dark, with no sign of a winner yet https://t.co/etiAzQWuP2 pic.twitter.com/iL3L2395bv
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 27, 2023
Mr Rutte, on the other hand, has stated that he does not desire the position, while Sanchez will face general elections in his nation this year.
A European is generally picked for this position, and any serious contender need the approval of Washington, NATO’s most powerful member. There is considerable debate inside the Biden administration over who should lead the Euro-Atlantic Alliance.
The lack of viable alternatives raises the prospect of Stoltenberg’s tenure being extended again, maybe until the next NATO summit in 2024.
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