What's next for Boris Johnson?
Experts ponder who may become NATO's future chief

INTERVIEWS  27 February 2023 - 15:23

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said in a telethon that he will run for the post of NATO secretary-general, Europeyskaya Pravda reports.

"Heading NATO? That's a great idea. You know, it is a very good idea. I want to emphasise, dear friends, that I have this idea, and let no one forget that there is a candidate [for NATO Secretary General] on the line. This time, I think I will be lucky," Johnson said.

He recalled that former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi had suggested appointing a European Union representative as the next NATO secretary general.

"I completely disagree with him. I think there are other candidates outside the European Union. It doesn't have to be the EU. I certainly consider myself a candidate. It is a good and important position," the former British prime minister added. He also noted that "Putin has debunked all arguments against Ukraine joining NATO. Now there are none."

Jens Stoltenberg, incumbent NATO Secretary General, who has been in office since 1 October 2014, was supposed to resign last year and planned to head the central bank in his native Norway, but due to Russia's attack on Ukraine, it was decided to extend his term until 30 September 2023.

At present, most of the allies would also prefer not to change the head of the Alliance and have unofficially agreed to extend Stoltenberg's term until April 2024. However, Jens Stoltenberg himself would like to leave office this autumn.

However, according to media reports, there is no consensus among the bloc members on the candidacy of Stoltenberg's successor. It is of course an interesting question whether the former British prime minister is the right man for the job. Is Boris Johnson the right man to bring to fruition the tasks of consolidating and strengthening the North Atlantic bloc in the coming years? And there is no other way, given the growing degree of tension in the world and the ambivalent behaviour of powerful China. Will Johnson have the strength, skill, and experience to do so?

Foreign analysts have answered these questions for Caliber.Az.

Greg Simons, associate professor at the Institute of Russian and Eurasian Studies (IRES) at Uppsala University, Sweden, finds the topic of the future of NATO's public political leadership very intriguing.

"A lot of disagreement and lack of political consensus about NATO and especially its future secretary-general is related to the crisis of American global leadership, which is causing some anxiety among vassal and US-dependent states. So what we are witnessing is a public spectacle - a rearrangement of chairs on the Titanic - chairs being changed in the vain hope that somehow the fate of the US-led West can be changed. That, on the one hand," Simons said.

"Moreover, as historical figures (Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, and von Clausewitz) have pointed out, war is politics in a different sense. If we look at the current role of NATO, it is an institution that tries to maintain US power and dominance, so they try to make it global and include an anti-Chinese vector. This is much the same as the supposed role of the CSTO in the CIS - as Russia saw it.

There is also a third dimension to consider in the US-dominated game of Western institutions. These roles are like a revolving door for 'loyal' political and ideological figures from the US and its system of vassal states.

Johnson has been very loyal to the US, he has pursued their policies, for example failing a potential peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, which was accepted by Türkiye. But, as with many Western leaders today, loyalty does not mean they are intelligent and capable leaders. Johnson has repeatedly shown a lack of intelligence, and that poses risks for an organisation like NATO at a time like this when tensions with China and Russia are rising. They need someone smart and sharp, and there are very few of them," said the researcher.

In his view, the reluctance to allow Stoltenberg to step down when his term expires clearly demonstrates the serious dilemma and challenges facing the bloc's members.

"Johnson is certainly not up to the task, as evidenced by his appalling performance as UK prime minister and his extreme ineptitude at running Brexit, his terrible track record is obvious, but so is his total loyalty and devotion to empire (the US-led global world)," Simons said.

"I don't believe in Johnson's election to the position, I wish I could, but I don't," said the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reserve general, deputy SBU chief from March 2014 to June 2015, and director of the Security Sector Reform Agency Viktor Yahun. - He is a very contradictory person and many in NATO do not like his harsh rhetoric and erratic demeanour.

I think there are two solutions - either keep the current secretary general or appoint someone from NATO's eastern bloc, such as former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite.

"I don't think there will be a serious discussion around this figure," remarked Dr Stefan Meister, head of the International Order and Democracy Programme at the German Council on Foreign Relations. - Johnson has not been the best British prime minister, he has had several scandals, and he is not a very reliable person. I don't think he would be well suited to this very responsible position, even if he has always been an ardent supporter of Ukraine.

Of course, someone from the UK might be a good choice, someone from Europe, but with strong transatlantic ties. But I do not see Boris Johnson as someone who has everything necessary for such a job."

Caliber.Az