NATO 'headache' in the process of finding a new face for the new Secretary General position

But it is a race that is largely played out behind the scenes, with no clear winner in sight.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, April 5. Photo: AFP/VNA

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is expected to step down at the end of September after nine years in the post. Many members of the military alliance want to find a replacement for Stoltenberg during or even before the NATO summit in Lithuania in mid-July.

That leaves little time for the 31 NATO members to reach the consensus needed to choose a new secretary-general. It is also possible that they will ask Mr Stoltenberg to extend his term for a fourth time.

According to Reuters news agency (UK), whoever holds the position of NATO Secretary General at this time will face the dual challenge of keeping allies supporting Ukraine while also guarding against any escalation that could drag NATO directly into conflict with Russia.

The race for NATO secretary general is currently unclear, largely taking place in consultations between leaders and diplomats. Those consultations will continue until all NATO members agree they have reached a consensus.

Jamie Shea, a former senior official who served in NATO for 38 years, said leaders will be looking for an experienced politician, communicator and diplomat.

Many member states favour a former prime minister or president to ensure the NATO secretary-general has political influence at the highest level. Mr Stoltenberg, 64, was formerly prime minister of Norway. Some other members, notably France, want someone from a European Union (EU) country in the hope of closer cooperation between NATO and the EU.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks in Copenhagen on November 2, 2022. Photo: AFP/VNA

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace recently said he would like the job. However, some members are in favor of NATO having its first female Secretary General. As a result, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has emerged as a strong candidate. Several NATO diplomats told Reuters that Frederiksen is being seriously considered behind the scenes. But the Danish prime minister said she is not a candidate.

The Norwegian newspaper VG mentioned Ms Frederiksen’s name as a candidate for the position of NATO Secretary General last month. But this week the media took a special interest in her when the White House announced that Prime Minister Frederiksen would visit US President Joe Biden in early June.

At a press conference in Copenhagen on May 24, Ms. Frederiksen played down speculation that the US visit could lead to a job interview for a position at NATO.

The NATO secretary general position usually goes to a European politician, but any serious candidate would need support from Washington. The Biden administration has no preferred candidate yet and is engaged in a “lively debate” among top aides, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

A US State Department spokesman said it was "too early" to speculate on who the US would support.

Ms. Frederiksen (45 years old), from the Social Democratic Party, became Denmark's youngest Prime Minister in 2019. She was praised for her ability to manage the crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic and was elected for a second term in 2022.

If she gets the job, Ms Frederiksen will become the third consecutive NATO Secretary General from a Nordic country. She will have to give up her position as Prime Minister to become NATO Secretary General.

Denmark has fallen short of the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence. Denmark is spending 1.38% and Prime Minister Frederiksen has pledged to accelerate efforts to reach the 2% target.

NATO soldiers in Orzysz, Poland. Photo: AFP/VNA

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland were also mentioned in discussions among diplomats and the press.

But diplomats say that among some NATO members, Ms Kallas is seen as too strong on Russia. Meanwhile, Germany wants Ms von der Leyen to stay on the European Commission, while Mr Freeland faces major obstacles as he is not from a European country and Canada is seen as lagging on defence spending.

Other names mentioned include Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. But Mr Rutte has said he does not want the job. Mr Sanchez is expected to fight a general election later this year.

The lack of popular candidates raises the possibility that Mr Stoltenberg’s term could be extended. Mr Stoltenberg has said he does not want to stay longer. However, he has not said how he would react if asked to extend.

(Source: Tin Tuc Newspaper)

Useful
Emotion
Creative
Unique

Source: https://vtc.vn/nato-dau-dau-trong-tien-trinh-tim-guong-mat-moi-cho-vi-tri-tong-thu-ky-moi-ar785617.html