Stoltenberg’s mission as NATO chief ends on October 1. But the assignment will probably be extended.
– Finding a new candidate who is ready by the fall becomes less and less likely with each passing day, says a source to NRK.
NATO has previously said that Stoltenberg has no plans to extend his time in the post. But according to NRK’s informant, the recruitment of a new general secretary has not been a high priority so far.
The US wants him to stay
There are many indications that he will at least stay until next summer. Both the US and Germany have also expressed a desire for Stoltenberg to continue. This is the opinion of Kate Hansen Bundt, who is secretary general of the Norwegian Atlantic Ocean Committee.
– The US wants him to stay, and there is no consensus on the many candidates who have been named as his successor, says Hansen Bundt.
Names that have been mentioned as potential NATO leaders according to NRK include Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose mandate expires next summer.
