Hungary Will Not Support Rutte For Sec-Gen: Foreign Min

Earlier today, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed that the Hungarian gov't would not back outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte for the position of NATO Secretary General once the incumbent Jens Stoltenberg's term concludes on 1 Oct. Szijjarto said that "We certainly can't support the election of a man to the position of NATO's secretary general, who previously wanted to force Hungary on its knees,"

• Hungary's opposition is not necessarily enough to scupper Rutte's bid. Unanimity is not a prerequisite to take the Sec-Gen position, and given that the major NATO powers (US, UK, France, and Germany) have offered their backing, Rutte remains the clear frontrunner.
• However, Hungary's overt opposition comes as other NATO members in Eastern Europe raise queries with the looming confirmation of Rutte. Politico reports former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves asking “What moral credibility does this guy have?” given that the Netherlands has failed to hit its 2% of GDP on defence NATO target at any point during Rutte's 13-year tenure as PM.
• While Hungary remains something of an outlier within NATO, given PM Viktor Orban's stance on the war in Ukraine, the exposure of broader divisions between eastern and western, and dovish and hawkish member states could serve to damage the alliance's effectiveness and credibility as the war in Ukraine drags on and security risks in Europe remain prevalent.