Romanian president announces candidacy for NATO chief role

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis considers challenging Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the top NATO position

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has announced his decision to challenge the frontrunner, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, for the chief role at NATO.

Iohannis’ last-minute decision comes as the major powers within NATO have already declared their support for Rutte within the past 24 hours. The U.S., U.K., Germany and France have all stated their backing for the outgoing Dutch prime minister as the next leader of NATO.

Approximately 10 countries have yet to make a decision, including some Eastern European nations that share strategic concerns with Romania, which is skeptical of Russia. However, openly challenging the preferred candidate of U.S. President Joe Biden may prove challenging for them.

NATO officials are concerned that Iohannis’ late entry into the race could be viewed as undermining the unity of the alliance, especially given the potential return of Donald Trump as U.S. president. 

Criticism against Rutte

Eastern European countries are particularly frustrated by what they perceive as Rutte’s lack of engagement with nations bordering Russia.

They also point to Rutte’s ongoing failure to meet the NATO-agreed target of 2% of gross domestic product for defense spending, a commitment made by all alliance members a decade ago. This issue could potentially be used against Rutte if Trump were to be reelected.

Additionally, there is lingering tension between the Netherlands and Romania, both NATO members and EU countries. Rutte’s government has long resisted Bucharest’s entry into the Schengen zone, which allows borderless travel among EU nations, citing concerns over corruption and criminal activities.

Source: Newsroom

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