'Teflon Mark' Rutte to stick to his guns as NATO chief

'Teflon Mark' Rutte to stick to his guns as NATO chief
By Richard CARTER
The Hague (AFP) Oct 1, 2024

A laid-back people person known for holding firm when things get tough, Dutchman Mark Rutte will need all those skills to lead NATO through one of its most challenging times.

Often pictured cycling to work, the 57-year-old starts as NATO Secretary General on October 1, charged with steering the 32-nation alliance through a period of Russian belligerence and possibly US indifference.

In the Hague, it was not uncommon to see Rutte shooting the breeze with fellow cyclists, shopping at his local supermarket or dining in a neighbourhood pizzeria.

After leaving his "Little Tower" prime minister's office for the last time -- on his bike, naturally -- Rutte now swaps his easygoing lifestyle for the pressure cooker of Brussels.

A cartoon in Dutch daily NRC summed it up perfectly: Rutte cheerfully crunching an apple on a bike with a NATO logo, heading into a squabbling group threatened by missiles.

The 1.93-metre-tall (six feet four inches) Rutte forged a reputation as a consensus-builder but a series of scandals also tarnished his legacy in the Netherlands.

A row last year within his coalition over asylum sparked the sudden collapse of the government, paving the way for elections won by far-right leader Geert Wilders.

In 2021, his government resigned after thousands of parents -- many from ethnic minority backgrounds -- were falsely accused of childcare subsidy fraud.

And earthquakes in the northern Netherlands caused by extraction at a gas plant also aroused great anger.

"A lot went wrong there under my responsibility and I take that personally," said Rutte in his farewell message.

But his ability to ride out the scandals earned him the nickname "Teflon Mark" -- as his political opponents were unable to stick anything on him.

- 'Habit and tradition' -

His other nickname is "The Trump Whisperer", acquired for his perceived ability to manage the mercurial former US president, who may be back in the White House come January.

Rutte is widely credited with rescuing a 2018 NATO summit by talking Trump around on defence spending, and he showed typical Dutch directness by brazenly contradicting the president in the Oval Office.

In an exchange that later went viral, Trump claimed it would be "positive" whether or not the EU and the United States managed to clinch a trade deal.

The visiting Rutte scoffed out loud and interjected: "No! It's not positive. We have to work something out."

More recently, Rutte displayed more Dutch directness at the Munich Security Conference in February, saying Europe had to work "with whoever is on the dance floor".

"All that whining and moaning about Trump -- I hear that constantly over the last couple of days, let's stop doing that," he said.

He is certainly under no illusions as to the challenge posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as "cold-hearted, brutal, merciless".

Rutte's 14-year tenure as prime minister was marked by the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, with 196 Dutch among the 298 killed.

He described the crash as "perhaps the most profound and emotional event of my entire premiership" which "changed my personal view of the world".

It made him all the more determined to support Ukraine "for their security and ours".

The youngest of seven children, Rutte's father Izaak was a trader, while his mother Mieke was the sister of Izaak's first wife, who died in a Japanese internment camp in World War II.

Rutte initially wanted to be a concert pianist, but after attending the prestigious Leiden University, he joined Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever, including a stint at its peanut butter division, Calve.

He describes himself as a "man of habit and tradition" who has spent his whole life in The Hague and volunteers as a teacher.

His public image is perhaps best summed up by his regular hairdresser, Marco Rimmelzwaan, who said that "Mark doesn't like change, he always wants the same thing".

Rutte takes reins at NATO as US vote looms
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Oct 1, 2024 - Former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte takes over as NATO's secretary general on Tuesday as the Western military alliance reaches a critical juncture weeks from a momentous US election.

The straight-talking 57-year-old replaces Jens Stoltenberg, whose decade at the helm has seen NATO grapple with Russia's war on Ukraine, China's rising might -- and Donald Trump's first term in power in Washington.

The two veteran politicians will lay a wreath at NATO's Brussels headquarters to soldiers fallen during the alliance's 75-year history, before a ceremonial Icelandic gavel is used to mark the official handover.

In opting for Rutte, a staunch US ally and stalwart backer of Ukraine, NATO's 32 nations have picked a leader expected to keep pushing support for Kyiv and efforts to bolster the alliance's own defences in the face of Russia.

"There might be nuances, changes of emphasis possibly -- but there's going to be a lot of continuity as well," a senior NATO diplomat told AFP.

- 'Whoever is on the dance floor' -

The November 5 vote in the United States represents the first major test for Rutte, and will shape his initial four-year term at the helm.

On the campaign trail, Trump has threatened not to protect NATO members who do not spend enough on defence and promised he can cut a quick deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Rutte -- known for his astute handling of Trump -- has told fretful European countries to stop "whining" about a potential comeback for the volatile reality TV star.

"We have to work with whoever is on the dance floor," he said in February.

But the uncertainty over future Western support for Ukraine comes as Russian forces advance on the battlefield more than three-and-a-half years after the Kremlin's all-out invasion.

NATO, whose members have supplied 99 percent of all foreign weaponry to Ukraine, agreed at a summit in July to play a bigger role in delivering those arms and Rutte will be key in stewarding support.

- 'A big family' -

Another central task for Rutte will be to keep pushing NATO members to spend more on their militaries to counter any potential menace from Moscow.

Spurred on by the war in Ukraine -- and pressure from Washington -- European countries have already ratcheted up their defence spending.

This year, 23 countries are set to reach NATO's target of spending two percent of gross domestic product on their militaries.

But with the threat from Russia expected to last for years -- whatever the outcome in Ukraine -- there is a clear understanding that more will be needed.

That could prove a tough sell for Rutte -- who only saw the Netherlands reach the goal in his fourteenth, and final year, in office.

Even if he wanted to change NATO's direction, Rutte would likely struggle to shake up an alliance based on careful consensus between its members.

Stoltenberg, whose mandate was extended three times, trod a careful balancing act as NATO emerged reenergized in the face of Russia's aggression.

And the former Norwegian premier has told his successor that the greatest challenge he faces is keeping all of NATO's sometimes truculent leaders on the same page.

"That's a big family, a great family, but sometimes what is a challenge, to keep them all happy at the same time," Stoltenberg said in his final speech.