NATO’s Leader Is Totally Lost |
Get audio access with any FP subscription.
Subscribe Now
ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is an energetic, dedicated, and experienced politician. “Teflon Mark” was the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history, and if it were 1955, 1975, or even 2005, his character and adroit political instincts would be ideal for the post that he now occupies. But timing is everything, and his worldview and approach are the opposite of what NATO needs today.
Since becoming secretary-general, Rutte’s central objective has been to keep the United States fully committed to NATO and European security more broadly. If that requires shamelessly flattering U.S. President Donald Trump and pouring cold water on European efforts to achieve greater strategic autonomy, so be it. One can understand his motivation—having the United States play the role of Europe’s first responder is a pretty good deal—it’s his understanding of the overall strategic situation that is wanting.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is an energetic, dedicated, and experienced politician. “Teflon Mark” was the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history, and if it were 1955, 1975, or even 2005, his character and adroit political instincts would be ideal for the post that he now occupies. But timing is everything, and his worldview and approach are the opposite of what NATO needs today.
Since becoming secretary-general, Rutte’s central objective has been to keep the United States fully committed to NATO and European security more broadly. If that requires shamelessly flattering U.S. President Donald Trump and pouring cold water on European efforts to achieve greater strategic autonomy, so be it. One can understand his motivation—having the United States play the role of Europe’s first responder is a pretty good deal—it’s his understanding of the overall strategic situation that is wanting.
His latest effort was to tell the European Parliament that Europe simply cannot defend itself without lots of U.S. help, saying that those who disagree with him should “keep on dreaming.” His remarks can only be interpreted as a thinly veiled riposte to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s justly celebrated........