The Hungarian government confirmed on Tuesday that it will not support the outgoing Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, in his nomination for the position of Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Hungary makes clear that criticism of the country's policies is at stake.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó criticized, saying: “We cannot support the election of a NATO Secretary General for someone who wanted to bring Hungary to its knees.”
The official noted that “it would be very strange” for the government led by Viktor Orban to support Rutte, who harshly criticized Hungary in 2021 over the Defense of Minors Law, which links pedophilia to homosexuality, and which led to the E.U. A committee opens a case against the country.
The Dutch Prime Minister at the time went further, declaring the need to expel Hungary from the European Union and force it to “kneel,” in the face of what he considered “violations of the rule of law.”
It should be remembered that the Secretary General of NATO is elected by consensus of all NATO member states, so Rutte's aspirations are at risk.
The United States and other important allies support Rutte, but other countries, such as Poland or Turkey, have not declared a clear and explicit “yes” to the Dutchman’s candidacy.
This position is currently held by Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, after his term was extended three times, motivated by the scarcity of candidates and the pressures of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He will have his final months in office, as his term ends in July.
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