Statements by the country’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto add uncertainty to Rutte’s election plan.
Hungary opposes Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte becoming the new NATO Secretary General. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of this country, Peter Szijjarto, Politico reports.
The publication notes that a third of the 31 member countries of the Alliance have still not decided whether to support Rutte, who is supported by the United States. At the same time, Rutte is a long-time critic of the current government in Budapest.
“We certainly cannot support the election of a person who previously wanted to bring Hungary to its knees as NATO secretary general,” Szijjártó said, recalling an episode in 2021 when Rutte condemned new anti-LGBT legislation.
The media recalls that Szijjártó’s remarks came a few days before Hungarian President Viktor Orbán’s meeting with Donald Trump in the United States.
“London, Paris and Berlin have also pledged to support Rutte’s candidacy for the post of NATO secretary general. With a reputation as a ‘Trump storyteller’, Rutte would be considered an ideal partner in some circles if the former NATO-sceptic president wins the US election in November.” – writes the publication.
At the same time, the authors note that the group of “eastern flank countries” located near the Russian border were also not convinced by Rutte’s statements – but for different reasons.
“The Baltic states are unhappy with Rutte’s lack of commitment to Dutch defense spending, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is unhappy with the Netherlands’ long resistance to his country joining the Schengen area. Iohannis told allies last month that he had decided to defy Rutte,” the article said.
Hungary and NATO – latest news
On Tuesday, March 5, the new President of Hungary, Tamas Szuyok, signed the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO. He signed this document on his first day in this post.
On February 26, the Hungarian parliament approved Sweden’s entry into NATO. 188 Hungarian deputies voted for the adoption of the corresponding decision, 6 were against. However, for the law to come into force, the signature of the President of Hungary was still required.
In January, the Turkish parliament voted to ratify the Scandinavian country’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. The last country that did not make a corresponding decision was Hungary.
