Top Dutch general: 'Rutte has US backing to become new NATO boss' | Politics

Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte has secured the backing of the US and “most Western countries” to become NATO's new secretary-general. Armed Forces Commander Onno Eiselsheim said this on the occasion WNL on Sunday.

According to Eichelsheim, the US and most Western countries would like to see Rutte as the new NATO boss. The United States is the most important military power within NATO. This gives them a decisive vote in the process of appointing a new NATO leader.

According to Eichelsheim, there is a “good chance” Rutte will succeed Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg as head of the military coalition. He expects the appointment to be announced in April or May. “Of course, there will undoubtedly be some discussions here and there. But it looks very positive,” said Eiselsheim, the country's top military official.

Rutte is not the only candidate for office. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins are also interested in the post.

If Rutte is appointed head of NATO in the spring, there will still be no new cabinet. It will be a political decision whether Rutte will be the interim outgoing head of government. This situation has never happened before in recent Dutch history.

In the past, there have been politicians who have continued to hold cabinet positions until becoming Secretary General of NATO. But other ministers, such as Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 2009, resigned soon after their appointment.