BRUSSELS (AP) – Hungary lifted its veto on Tuesday Mark Ruth becoming the next head of NATO after the outgoing Dutch prime minister gave written assurances that he would not force the country to participate in the military alliance’s new plans to supply support for Ukraine.
Rutte’s assurances, contained in a letter to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, remove a major obstacle to his becoming NATO’s next secretary general – the organization’s top civilian official.
It could also allow NATO to launch a major unit demonstration and demonstrate solidarity with war-torn Ukraine when US President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet in Washington on July 9-11. The summit aims to mark NATO’s victory 75th anniversary.
At talks held in Budapest last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenbergwho is expected to leave office in October, reached an agreement with Orbán to guarantee that Hungary would not block NATO’s plans for Ukraine.
Stoltenberg accepted that Hungary should not be required to provide personnel or funds for the collective effort, but Orbán also wanted to hear this from Rutte.
NATO makes all its decisions by consensus, giving any of the 32 member countries an effective veto, including over whether to participate in any joint effort or operation.
On social media, Orbán said it was important for Hungary to establish “that this agreement can stand the test of time.” He posted Rutte’s letter, dated June 18, the day after the two men met in Brussels on the sidelines of a European Union summit.
Rutte wrote that “in a possible future capacity as Secretary General of NATO, I will fully support this outcome of the talks between Jens Stoltenberg and you.”
It was enough for Orbán. “PM Mark Rutte has confirmed that he fully supports this agreement and will continue to do so, and is expected to become the next Secretary General of NATO. In light of its commitment, Hungary is ready to support Prime Minister Rutte’s candidacy for NATO Secretary General,” he published on X.
Budapest also complained about unidentified comments Rutte made about the Hungarian government three years ago and demanded an apology.
Rutte wrote that he “noted” that his previous remarks “caused dissatisfaction in Hungary. My priority in a possible future role as Secretary General of NATO will be to maintain unity and treat all Allies with the same level of understanding and respect.”
NATO secretaries-general are responsible for chairing meetings and guiding sometimes sensitive consultations between member countries to ensure that an organization that operates on the basis of consensus can continue to function.
Rutte is by far the preferred candidate of most NATO allies, including major members such as the United States and Germany. Earlier this year, Turkey expressed opposition to Rutte’s candidacy, but lifted up their objections in April.
The last obstacle remains the candidacy of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who is approaching the end of his second five-year term as head of state, but officials and analysts believe this will not pose a major problem.
Stoltenberg has been seen as a steady hand at the helm of NATO for a decade and his mandate has been extended several times. Biden and his NATO counterparts were expected to name a successor when they met in Lithuania in July 2023, but consensus could not be found on a replacement.
“I’m serious, you’ve been great. I just wanted you to extend your term for another 10 years,” Biden said when meeting the former Norwegian prime minister at the White House on Monday.
