Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Tuesday that he was prepared to support the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte‘s bid to become NATO’s next Secretary General.
“Hungary is prepared to support Prime Minister Rutte’s bid for NATO Secretary General,” Orbán said on X, next to a copy of a letter from Rutte in which he promised to respect an agreement between Orbán and the current Secretary General. Jens Stoltenbergthat Hungary will not have to contribute to Ukraine’s war effort.
Rutte needs the unanimous support of all 32 NATO countries to succeed Stoltenberg, but Orbán has so far withheld support from Hungary.
Rutte’s letter, dated Tuesday, notes that the comments he made in 2021 “have caused dissatisfaction in Hungary. My priority in any future capacity as Secretary General of NATO will be to maintain unity and treat all allies with the same level of understanding and respect.”
EU leaders have accused Orbán’s government of undermining the rule of law in Hungary, and European Union courts have also ruled against Budapest.
Rutte and Orbán met on Monday ahead of a dinner for EU leaders in Brussels, after which Rutte told reporters that he would soon send a letter to Orbán. Rutte told the press that the Hungarian Prime Minister had not asked him for an apology and that they were focused on the ‘future’.
Slovakia’s new president, Peter Pellegrini, also said on Monday that his country would support Rutte, Slovakia’s national news agency TASR reported.
However, Rutte still needs to win the support of Romania, where President Klaus Iohannis has put his own name forward as the next NATO chief.
