Romania’s President on NATO Shortlist for Secretary-General Position

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis may be the successor of NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. Even though that may sound like a joke, it is not.

According to the German news agency DPA, Klaus Johannis is listed among the possible successor to the NATO seat, including former British prime minister Theresa May, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas and former European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Frederica Mogherini.

The decision of NATO’s 30 member states is expected at the Alliance’s summit in June, perhaps even earlier. In the pre-selection phase, confidential discussions and negotiations between Member State leaders, ministers and diplomats are commonplace.

The Oslo government announced on February 4th that Stoltenberg, the actual NATO president, will become the new governor of the Central Bank of Norway after the end of his term in the Alliance.

Romania is among the NATO countries that have fulfilled their obligations, including the allocation of 2% of GDP for defence, and although appointing a candidate from Romania at the top of the Alliance could be viewed as “a bit too hawkish toward Russia,” the option as president Klaus Iohannis to become the future Secretary-General of NATO is not excluded, according to Politico Europe.

Even now, Romania has a representative within NATO’s top leadership. Mircea Geoana, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, is the Deputy Secretary-General of the alliance. In case Klaus Johannis is nominated as Secretary-General, Romania will lose the second position.

Klaus Johannis is a politician who lost the confidence of the voters. Currently, in his second term, Johannis failed to offer the promised reforms. Also, though he was seen as an anti-socialist politician and built his public image by using this strategy, he disappointed most of his voters when he agreed for his party, PNL – National Liberal Party to make an alliance with the Socialists – PSD and form the Government.