In race for top EU, NATO jobs, Eastern Europe asks: ‘Are we equals or not?’
In race for top EU, NATO jobs, Eastern Europe asks: ‘Are we equals or not?’
EU’s newer members are bristling at the likely appointment of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO chief.
EU’s newer members are bristling at the likely appointment of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO chief.
Mark Rutte is a very high profile candidate - I think there's no shame in the Eastern European candidates falling short of him. Kaja Kallas has only been PM of Estonia for three years (vs 13 years for Rutte as PM of a much larger country). Klaus Iohannis has been president of Romania for something more comparable to Rutte's tenure but he's also got a much lower international profile than either Rutte or Kallas.
But I think the other big selling point of Rutte is his personal reputation as Europe's 'Trump whisperer'. His appointment in effect would be part of NATO's contingency plan for mitigating the threat to Western civilisation of a second Trump presidency.
But more widely, long term - yes. We should see more Eastern European candidates getting big jobs.