the betting pools place Sánchez among the favorites after Frederiksen and Rutte.
The NATO was a drifting ship for many, but has now become one that has picked up cruising speed. And it is looking for a captain. The current secretary general of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenbergshould have left office a year ago, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed everyone’s plans and also those of the Norwegian leader, who extended his mandate for a few more months. But he is no longer in office. Now the organization has to look for a replacement for him or her and the casting has begun. with a number of names on the table covering different profiles and very varied political personalities.
Who seems to be leading the pools is. Mette Frederiksen. The Danish prime minister inaugurated last December a new government in coalition with moderates and liberals, after having shared the cabinet with left-wing partners during the last legislature. One of the first measures announced by the Executive was an increase in defense spending. and, in addition, Denmark entered just a year ago into the policy of Common defense of the European Unionbreaking with an exit clause that has kept the country out of EU military missions and programs for the past 30 years.
He is seen as A candidate with “serious options” to replace Stoltenberg.but it would be striking if a Danish figure were to return to the post since the Norwegian’s predecessor was Anders Fogh Rasmussen. That plays against Frederiksen, who has not pronounced himself on this possibility while the Nordic countries are gaining weight in the global sphere, given Finland’s entry into NATO and Sweden’s knock on the door of the Alliance, although Stockholm is still waiting for Turkey to lift its veto.
But she is closely followed in the race by another heavyweight of European politics: Mark Rutte. As sources consulted by 20minutos Dutch prime minister’s leap into the Atlantic Alliance. “it has been in the air for months now”especially because of the good relationship he has forged with the United States. The fact is that the approval of the White House is a sine qua non condition for occupying the seat of command in Brussels. Rutte is also one of the European leaders who has been in office the longest, since 2010.sharing a table with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
A key step toward his nomination could go well came when the Netherlands, just a few months ago, aligned with the United States to ‘push’ in the competition against China in the semiconductor market.The US has been a major player in the semiconductor market, as Amsterdam is one of the strongest in Europe in this respect. Rutte then opted to multiply controls on Beijing, keeping pace with Washington. This furthermore aligns with the objective of achieving “a stronger EU role in ensuring the coherence of our policies on security, trade and technology”, as called for by the European Commission.
If one could make a podium list of name to take over the command of NATO perhaps the third could be. Pedro Sanchez. “It is a hoax”, assured the President of the Spanish Government when referring to this possibility, which has already been published during the last few days, above all as a result of the electoral advance for 23-J. Sánchez assures that this is not his plan, although in part he says it with a small mouth. because his profile fits well according to Euractiv, what the organization is now looking for..
If one speaks of counterweights, one has to look to Eastern or Southern Europe, because betting on a Nordic would mean repeating ‘team’ after a Norwegian has held the position in recent years. The Mediterranean countries have been gaining weight in recent years and Sanchez’s voice has been widely heard in key European Union. Like Rutte, he maintains a close relationship with the Biden Administration and is well regarded for leading debates such as energy within the European Council. In addition, his experience in Bosnia on the team of Carlos Westendorp when he was High Representative of the United Nations in the country plays quite in his favor.
However, the specific weight Spain’s specific weight within NATO remains low in comparison with other allies.. The country is not yet in the first echelon. Who also wants to make the leap to the Atlantic Alliance is Ben Wallace. The Minister of Defence of the United Kingdom wants to gain momentum from his country’s huge support for Ukraine.and he has a good press in the Alliance headquarters, but the British political instability of recent times is not an element in his favor. His name sounds more because of London’s weight than because of the profile he sets for himself.
Further back in the race are already other names such as. Kaja Kallas, Sanna Marin or even Ursula von der Leyen.. The former is liked by many in the Alliance circle, since her work as prime minister of Estonia in the face of Russian moves has drawn praise since the invasion of Ukraine began.. On the other hand, his name has been falling in the pools at the same time that Marin’s name has been rising. After losing the elections in Finland and not being able to form a new government, it may be time for him to start a new government. an international career, although his place may be in a high position in the EU. Precisely one like the one now held by Von der Leyen. About her there were only rumors to make the leap to NATO without changing cities, because, if the numbers are right, it seems that she will remain at the head of the European Commission..
