Stoltenberg said in a tweet that he was “honoured by the NATO Allies’ decision to extend my term as Secretary General until October 1, 2024.”
“The transatlantic link between Europe and North America has guaranteed our freedom and security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our alliance is more important than ever,” he said.
Stoltenberg, Norway’s former prime minister, has been NATO’s top civilian officer since 2014. His term was due to end last year but was extended to keep a firm hand at the helm following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts were scheduled to name a successor at their meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. But the world’s largest security organization makes decisions by consensus, and no agreement has been reached on a new candidate.
Most member countries wanted to nominate a woman, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was widely believed to be the favorite for the job following a meeting with Biden last month.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, ruled out his candidacy. Other names that were considered were the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, and the British Secretary of Defense, Ben Wallace.
It is the fourth time that Stoltenberg’s term has been extended. He is the second longest-serving in office, after former Dutch foreign minister Joseph Luns, who spent almost 13 years as secretary general from 1971.
Asked in recent weeks if he would accept a renewal of his term, Stoltenberg said he did not aspire to stay and had no plans other than to continue his duties and conclude his term in September.
NATO secretaries general are charged with chairing meetings and conducting sometimes-sensitive consultations among member states to ensure compromises are reached so that an organization operating under consensus can continue to function.
They also make sure that decisions are put into practice and speak for all members.
Stoltenberg has managed to walk a fine line in avoiding criticism of several member states led by more free-riding leaders, such as former US President Donald Trump; the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, or the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban.
Now that NATO’s historic adversary Russia is locked in a war with Ukraine, the process of choosing a new leader has become more politicized.
Poland is opposed to the next secretary general coming from a Nordic country after the long tenure of Stoltenberg and that of his predecessor, the Danish Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The Polish authorities wanted someone from a Baltic state, like Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
But other countries are reluctant to accept a Polish or Baltic candidate, given their apparent staunch support for Ukraine, including NATO membership. The United States and Germany, among others, insist that the country should not join the alliance until after the war is over.
When they appointed Fogh Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister and its 12th secretary general, in 2019, NATO leaders indicated they wanted a head of state or government to lead the organization. That made it virtually impossible to choose Wallace.
FUENTE: Associated Press
