According to an article in the Haniotika Nea of 11th November, quoting the Athenian-Macedonian Press Agency (APE-MPE), NATO expects to have appointed a new Secretary General by next spring, as the term of the current holder of the office, Jens Stoltenberg, comes to an end in October 2023 after three extensions and a whole decade in the post.
As discussions about his successor get under way in the NATO headquarters in Brussels, speculation is proliferating in the international press as to the names of possible candidates. The list is long and competition is expected to be fierce, since the post of NATO Secretary General has acquired new importance because of continuing crises such as the war in Ukraine, and the fact that NATO is being called upon to play a stabilising role internationally.
The candidates
According to the latest information from NATO sources, the names being heard most often in the corridors of NATO HQ, as well as in the international press are:
– former prime minister of Italy, Mario Draghi;
– Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte;
– Canadian finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland;
– British defence minister Ben Wallace;
– Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas;
– the president of Slovakia Zouzana Capoutova;
– former president of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic;
– Romanian president Klaus Iohannis.
There may also be some surprise candidates put forward by countries such as Germany and Belgium.
An article in the New York Times states that Chrystia Freeland is considered a strong contender in Washington. (The United States does not put forward an American candidate, since an American general is traditionally the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.) Freeland is of Ukrainian descent and speaks English, French, Italian, Ukrainian and Russian. Moreover, as the article says, “she has run complicated ministries; she is good at news conferences and other public appearances, and she would be the first woman and first Canadian ever to run NATO”.
Among the possible candidates reportedly being mentioned to replace Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General of NATO are the Canadian deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland (left), and the Estonian president Kaja Kallas. Photos: Munich Security Conference; official portrait by Renee Altrov.
However, the EU would prefer the next NATO head to be from a member country, as 21 of its current 27 states belong to the Alliance, and if Sweden and Finland are approved for NATO membership, 23 of the 32 members would belong to the EU. At the same time there are rumours at NATO HQ that Stoltenberg wants to extend his term once again, to 2024. It appears however that this is likely to meet strong opposition from a group of countries led by France.
The process
The decision-making process lies with the Permanent Representatives of the member states in the North Atlantic Council. According to the NATO website, “The North Atlantic Council (NAC) has effective political authority and powers of decision and consists of Permanent Representatives of all member countries meeting together at least once a week….The Council is the only body within the Alliance which derives its authority explicitly from the North Atlantic Treaty.”
Shortly before the end of the incumbent General Secretary’s term, the Permanent Representatives will start a series of negotiations aimed at finding the candidate preferred by the overwhelming majority. The negotiations involve frequent contacts with the capitals of the most important Allies, with Washington playing a leading role.
The conclusive date for the election of the new General Secretary is next spring, so that the name can be announced at the NATO Summit Conference at Vilnius in Lithuania in June 2023. The final choice will be made by the Council’s Permanent Representatives acting on instructions from their capitals, and their decision is expected to be unanimous, without being put to a vote.