Jens Stoltenberg, renewed as NATO Secretary General for another year

The longest-serving NATO chief, the Norwegian socialist Jens Stoltenberg, will continue for another year at the helm of the Atlantic Alliance. Member states have agreed to extend his mandate until the summit in Washington in mid-2024 (in which the 75th anniversary of NATO will be commemorated) given the lack of consensus on the candidates to succeed him at a critical moment marked by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Stoltenberg’s renewal -which occurs at the request of the United States- will be formalized during next week’s meeting of the Atlantic Council, which brings together the ambassadors of the 31 member countries, according to several European media. The decision will be taken on the eve of the summit on July 11-12 in Vilnius (Lithuania), in which the allies will discuss Ukraine’s request for membership and the reinforcement of the Eastern Flank.

Stoltenberg has been NATO Secretary General since 2014 thanks to multiple extensions and had expressed his desire to step down. “When it comes to me, I have made my position clear many, many times. I have nothing more to add. I’m not looking for an extension and that’s what I’ve said many times before“He said this Tuesday.

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However, it is the White House itself Joe Biden the one that has asked the Norwegian to stay for another year, according to what the British Defense Minister, Ben Wallace, who had applied for the position without success, revealed. “Maybe they want a prime minister,” he mused in an interview with The Economist.

“I think the new NATO secretary general is the old NATO general. And that’s good,” Estonian Prime Minister said Wednesday. kaja kallaswho also appeared in the pools of candidates, although with little chance due to his extreme harshness against Russia.

“The debates on the possible candidates revealed too many tensions. It is easier to keep him for another year, he does his job well and is very loyal to the United States,” says a diplomat. quoted by the French newspaper the world.

Two applicants with possibilities had reached the final stretch. On the one hand, the Dutch Prime Minister, mark ruttethat according The Economist He was the favorite of the United States but has rejected the position up to two times.

The other strong candidate was the Danish prime minister, mette frederiksen, who would have been the first woman to lead NATO. But her country is far from meeting the goal of 2% defense spending, which upsets the Eastern partners.