Lhe Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Thursday the withdrawal of his candidacy to head NATO, leaving the way clear for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to succeed current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The 65-year-old leader indicated that he had informed the allies of the Atlantic Alliance that he was withdrawing from the race, announced in a press release the High Council of National Defense, which therefore decided to support Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
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This is the end of a false suspense as the chances of the Romanian official, who had revealed his ambitions in March, saying he wanted to embody the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance, seemed weak in the face of the American support granted to Mark Rutte.
The proposal was, however, serious: Romania gained ground within the alliance, due to its strategic position on the border of Ukraine and Moldova, non-NATO members. It also borders the Black Sea and more than 5,000 NATO soldiers are deployed there.
But Klaus Iohannis failed to convince the 31 other countries of the Alliance. Only the Hungary of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban had given him its support, before rallying on Tuesday to the big favorite, Mark Rutte.
Final decision in July
The decision, taken by consensus among member states for this post which falls to a European, to appoint the 57-year-old Dutch leader, must be announced by the Washington summit in July.
Under the mandate of Jens Stoltenberg, which ends on October 1, NATO has taken on crucial importance in the face of the war in Ukraine.
