Sec Gen Stoltenberg Extends Term By A Year

NATO has confirmed in a statement that the military alliance will extend Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's term by another year, to October 1, 2024, bringing continuity to NATO leadership as the war in Ukraine continues to dominate the alliance's agenda. The extension will be the fourth time Stoltenberg's tenure has been extended since taking the position in 2014.

• The extension comes as NATO was unable to settle on a suitable candidate to replace Stoltenberg, despite statements from the Norwegian that he would not seek another term, and the July 11-12 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania set as the informal date for a leadership announcement.
• An extension will allow the alliance an additional year to seek a replacement which can achieve consensus support from all members. The most desirable candidate is likely to be a female former head of state from Central or Eastern Europe.
• Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace, recently touted replacements, were widely seen as unlikely to garner sufficient support from all members.