Romanian president left without allies in race for NATO top job

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis was left with no other NATO country to support his candidacy for the Alliance's secretary general position after both Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban and Slovak president Peter Pellegrini announced that their countries would back the candidacy of outgoing Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg concluded that "it is obvious that we are very close to a conclusion" and that he strongly believes that "the Alliance will soon decide who will be my successor," according to reports by EFE.

Hungary is ready to support the candidacy of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the position of Secretary General of NATO, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban announced on June 18 in a post on the X social network, Reuters reported.

Mark Rutte confirmed that if he becomes the Secretary General of NATO, Hungary will not be forced to participate in the activities of the Alliance in Ukraine. Therefore, "given this commitment, Hungary is ready to support it," Orban, who had a discussion in Brussels on June 17 with the acting Dutch PM, said.

The Dutch prime minister signaled in a letter sent to the Hungarian government, also made public by Orban on the X platform, that as NATO secretary general, he would treat "all countries with the same level of understanding and respect," a reference to his previous criticism of the situation of the rule of law in Hungary.

Before Orban's post announcing his revised position on Rutte's candidacy, the new Slovak president Peter Pellegrini announced that his country would support Rutte's candidacy. In exchange, he asked for support in ensuring the anti-aircraft defense of Slovakia, which was left completely without the protection of its airspace after the government that preceded the current one led by Robert Fico donated to Ukraine the only S-300 anti-aircraft system it had.

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