Swedish media claim: Andrej Plenković serious candidate for NATO chief

(Patria) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's term expires on September 30 this year, and it is expected that the name of his successor will be known by the NATO summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on July 11 and 12.

Western media have increasingly speculated in recent weeks about candidates for Stoltenberg's successor, and yesterday two Swedish daily newspapers, the social democratic Aftonbladet and the conservative Svenska Dagbladet, joined the speculation.

Both newspapers mention Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković as a serious candidate for the new NATO Secretary General. Aftonbladet writes that the countries of Eastern and Central Europe have long felt neglected in the distribution of key positions in the European Union and NATO, reports Index.

The Swedish newspaper points out that this opens up space for current Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

However, Iohannis's presidential term does not expire until November 2024, and Kallas is considered too hostile towards Russia, which puts Plenković in the position of favorite if the next Secretary General is sought in this part of Europe. It should be noted that Plenković has previously been considered in the Swedish public as one of the leaders of the European People's Party and an influential figure in the European Union.

Swedish media further speculate that for the first time in history, NATO could be led by a woman, but all three mentioned female candidates have certain obstacles and shortcomings.

Former Finnish Social Democratic Prime Minister Sanna Marin will find it difficult to reach the secretary position, not only because Finland only became a NATO member this week, but also because the last two Secretaries General come from Scandinavian countries – Dane Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Norwegian Stoltenberg. It would probably be too much for a third consecutive secretary to come from Northern Europe.

Among the female candidates is European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was German Defense Minister for six years, but her term also does not expire until the end of 2024. Allegedly, current German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also has certain advantages, but it is hard to believe that allies would accept NATO and the EU being led by two German women.

In the search for candidates, Swedish media have also reached long-serving Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose name is often mentioned in calculations for high positions in the European Union. The last name on the list is Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, but his handicap is that Spain takes over the presidency of the European Union on July 1, and parliamentary elections await him in November.

If no agreement is reached by the summer, Aftonbladet points out, it is possible that pressure will again be exerted on Stoltenberg to remain in the position of Secretary General for another year. The former Norwegian Prime Minister's term expired last year, but due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he decided to accept the idea of staying for another year. It was the third extension of his term, and Stoltenberg himself emphasized that it would be the last.

Interestingly, about a year ago, former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was mentioned as Stoltenberg's successor, but after an interview with another Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter, in March 2022, in which she spoke with considerable understanding about Russian President Vladimir Putin, her candidacy suddenly faded.