Mark Rutte is the new Secretary General of NATO

Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has become the new Secretary General of NATO. After nearly ten years in office, Jens Stoltenberg handed over the position today in a ceremony held at Allianz headquarters in Brussels.

Rutte, 57, was selected for the position in early summer by the governments of the 32 member states of the Transatlantic Defense Alliance. He should hold office for at least four years. His term can then be renewed.

Challenges in light of global crises

During these four years, Rutte assumed a central role in the alliance: the NATO Secretary General must reach compromises between member states. Because it can also make suggestions for action, it plays a crucial role, especially in times of crisis or conflict. He is also Chief of Staff and heads NATO Headquarters as the top administrative official. All these tasks make him a key figure in security policy.

NATO is the most important security policy alliance in the world. It links the security interests of Europe and North America. It now includes 32 member states that jointly seek to achieve their security and defense policy objectives. In the event of an attack, states are obligated to support each other.

New office for Stoltenberg

Following his departure, Stoltenberg is now set to take up an important new position: according to media reports, he will replace Christoph Heusgen as president of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) next year. Corresponding reports to the German News Agency were confirmed by several sources. Since its founding in 1963, the Munich Security Conference has developed into one of the most important international forums on security policy.