Mark Rutte expected to become next NATO commander after Romanian president drops out

Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, is expected to become the next Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as of Thursday, after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew from the race.

Romania was the last obstacle for Rutte, who was backed by 31 of the 32 allies. Romania's security council said it now officially supports Rutte's candidacy, but he will not be confirmed until the summit in July. If approved, he will replace current NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in October.  

Iohannis's office said he told NATO last week that he intended to withdraw from the race. Iohannis is in his second five-year term as president. Hungary and Turkey previously objected to Rutte, but Turkey rallied behind Rutte in April and Hungary withdrew its de facto veto on Tuesday, per the Associated Press.

The new unity around Rutte is a major accomplishment for the military alliance, which could not agree on a replacement for Stoltenberg last year. He is expected to focus on maintaining NATO support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia, and will oversee the rapid expansion of its defense capabilities, according to CNN. 

Although the Dutch leader is a popular choice for NATO, critics are concerned that he won't be able to push more hesitant members to increase their defense spending to the 2% GDP target that NATO members agreed to. The Netherlands defense budget is often below the 2% commitment. 

Rutte's leadership also comes amidst a tumultuous time for Europe and the alliance, as Russia seeks its own military alliance with North Korea, Iran, and Cuba. The 32 member states have vowed to come to the defense of each other if Russia attacks one of the members, a group which does not include Ukraine. But Russia has kept its eyes on Ukraine so far. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.