Tensions in the race for NATO Secretary General, is the US on the sidelines?

The race for the position of Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains a mystery as no potential candidate has a clear lead.

NATO's decision-making process on who will lead the organization is based on consensus. (Source: Reuters)

On June 20, when asked about the role of NATO Secretary General, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington did not nominate any specific candidate for this position.

"We are not promoting or promoting any particular candidate. We are consulting very closely with our allies and partners to determine the direction we want to take with NATO and its leadership," Blinken said at a joint press conference with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in London.

Europe and NATO are still competing internally to find a successor to current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. After the end of his nine-year term, Mr. Stoltenberg will step down in September, leaving a power vacuum that has fueled speculation about his future successor.

The race to become NATO’s next leader is heating up. However, the outcome of the race remains a mystery, with no clear front-runner. Many alliance members hope to resolve the succession issue at the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania in July.

NATO's decision-making process on who will lead the organization is based on consensus. This does not involve voting, but rather involves discussion and consultation between members until a consensus is reached among all members.

However, the power dynamics held by the US, UK, France and Germany still appear to play a decisive role in who will become NATO leader.

The new NATO secretary general will face a series of challenges, including bolstering support for Ukraine while preventing incidents that could escalate into direct conflict with Russia.

Among the few prominent names in recent candidates for the position of NATO Secretary General are Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/cang-thang-duong-dua-toi-vi-tri-tong-thu-ky-nato-my-dung-ngoai-cuoc-231678.html