Biden To Meet Danish PM Frederiksen On June 5 As Odds Shorten

President Biden will hold a key meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday, June 5, which may provide an indication on whether Frederiksen will replace Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General in September.

• Politico: “Frederiksen is rumored to be on the short list of potential replacements. Many see her visit to the White House, which comes a month before NATO’s next summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, as a chance for Biden to implicitly bless her as an acceptable choice to lead the 31-nation alliance.”
• Camille Grand, a former NATO assistant secretary general, told Politico: “None of the candidates want to show their cards and be too obvious because then the objections start coming from one corner of the alliance or another. Frederiksen is probably the de facto frontrunner for now, especially if the White House visit goes well.”
• Politico: “With the last two secretaries general having come from Nordic countries, there are growing calls for the next leader to come from another region, perhaps southern or eastern Europe. That said, there is also a strong desire for a woman to helm the alliance for the first time…”