"Captain in the storm": Stoltenberg to remain NATO Secretary General for another year – Euractiv

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is likely to serve another year in office, despite his repeatedly expressed desire to hand over the leadership to another person.

Source: Euractiv, citing four NATO countries’ diplomats, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Stoltenberg, who has been NATO Secretary General since October 2014, was expected to resign this autumn, but instead, he may stay on for another year. The decision could be made as early as Wednesday, 28 June.

None of Stoltenberg's potential successors, such as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace or Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, have so far been able to secure the support of 31 NATO member states.

NATO diplomats note that Stoltenberg has proven his leadership in times of crisis. "It is not safe to change the captain during a storm," one of the Alliance's senior officials told Euractiv.

The sources point out that the continuation of the NATO Secretary General's term will bring more time to focus on short- and long-term support for Ukraine instead of engaging in internal discussions.

Since Stoltenberg's successor is expected to be appointed in the middle of next year, their candidacy will likely be discussed together with appointments to key positions in the European Union after the European Parliament elections.

Some Allies, however, have concerns that Stoltenberg's lengthy tenure could be seen "as a huge deficit of democracy" in the Alliance.

Background: Earlier, media reported that NATO allies were inclined to extend the current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s term due to challenges in electing a possible successor.

DN news agency noted that US President Joe Biden allegedly persuaded Jens Stoltenberg to stay as NATO Secretary General during his last trip to Washington.

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