Stoltenberg steps down: Scholz stands against Ursula von der Leyen as NATO Secretary General
As per "Die Welt," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had proposed Ursula von der Leyen to President Joe Biden as a potential candidate for this role. When President Biden sought Scholz's approval for this candidate, Scholz reportedly declined categorically.
The importance of the NATO Secretary General position is highly considered for Chancellor Scholz, a member of the SPD party. He couldn't allow this position to fall into the hands of a representative from the rival CDU party. Scholz reportedly regards the president of the European Commission as having less influence in the global arena compared to NATO's Secretary General, according to the newspaper's sources.
Considered Overly Critical of Moscow
Diplomatic sources relayed to "Die Welt" that Scholz found von der Leyen too critical of Moscow, which could potentially be problematic in the long term, especially if peace negotiations are possible.
According to the German newspaper, the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, is currently coming across as the most likely successor to Jens Stoltenberg. His support base is growing, with NATO diplomats indicating that "21 out of 31 NATO countries are already supporting his candidacy".
"The fact that Scholz seems to be more focused on fostering closer ties with Russia, rather than accepting the new reality and focusing on deterrence and containment, is revealing," commented Ulrich Speck, a German analyst.
Source: welt.de, bild.de
