BRUSSELS — Incoming NATO chief Mark Rutte brings new leadership this week to one of the world’s most powerful-sounding roles — helming the nuclear-armed Atlantic alliance.
But even if the former Dutch prime minister wanted to shake things up after taking over from Jens Stoltenberg, he probably couldn’t.
The reality of the NATO job means Rutte will be heading a risk-averse civilian bureaucracy, with hard power ultimately residing with member countries and above all the United States.
And in many ways NATO’s 32 nations — by swapping one mild-mannered, middle-aged, northern European male ex-premier for another — have opted for more of the same, to steer the alliance in troubled times.
“In such a difficult geopolitical situation, keeping continuation and the same foreign policy and security line is very important,” a senior NATO diplomat told AFP, talking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
During his more than 10 years at the helm, Stoltenberg won plaudits for his calm stewardship of the sometimes fractious alliance.
The Norwegian helped keep then US president Donald Trump on board, threw his weight behind Ukraine while making sure NATO didn’t get dragged into war with Russia, and kicked off an overhaul of the alliance’s defences to face Moscow.
“Allies were looking for somebody who has many of the same qualities as Stoltenberg and will continue in the same direction: prime minister, well-connected, long experience, good address book, has handled Trump,” said Jamie Shea, a former senior NATO official now with the Chatham House think tank.
Rutte, a favourite of key powers the US, Britain, France and Germany, ticked all those boxes.
A veteran who led complex coalitions in the Netherlands for 13 years, he has ample experience that can be put to use keeping countries with disparate — and often competing — interests on the same page.
“He is a consensus builder with an unflinching commitment to the transatlantic alliance,” a senior US official said.
The Dutchman has been a stalwart backer of Kyiv and wasn’t afraid to talk frankly to Trump, who could make a comeback after elections in November.
