Rutte Confirmed As Next Secretary General

In a widely-anticipated move, NATO ambassadors have unanimously confirmed that outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte will become the next secretary general of the alliance once the term of incumbent Jens Stoltenberg comes to an end on 1 October. The final obstacles to Rutte's appointment were removed last week, when Hungary confirmed its support (in exchange for Rutte maintaining Hungary's 'opt out' on providing military or financial support to Ukraine) and when Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew his candidacy.

• Rutte has served as Dutch PM since 2010, and is seen as a 'safe pair of hands'. During much of his time as PM on the international stage Rutte acted as a key interlocutor within the EU, abilities are seen to put him in good standing for the inevitable divisions over how to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion.
• Rutte still sits as head of the Netherlands' demissionary cabinet, but the right-wing coalition gov't of Dick Schoof is likely to come to power ahead of the October deadline.
• Conservative outlet The Spectator highlights some of the major challenges facing Rutte as he takes office: "As secretary general, Rutte will need to make sure defence spending continues to rise; maintain military assistance to Ukraine; manage Kyiv’s potential accession and the reforms necessary to allow that to happen; soothe eastern European member states who feel exposed and marginalised; deal with the ongoing membership aspirations of Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina; and, perhaps, handle a second presidency for the profoundly Nato-sceptical Donald Trump."