Biden pushes for European Commission president to be NATO chief

05 July 2023 11:27

Joe Biden is pushing for Ursula von der Leyen to be installed as the next NATO secretary-general after Ben Wallace’s candidacy was blocked.

The president of the European Commission was said to be the United States’ preferred candidate after the White House rejected the Defence Secretary for the role, The Daily Telegraph reports.

On July 4, NATO allies agreed a one-year extension for Jens Stoltenberg, who has been secretary general since October 2014, to lead the alliance until autumn 2024.

NATO leaders had hoped to reach a deal on a successor to Mr Stoltenberg at their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week, but have failed to agree on a candidate.

A NATO source said that the US president was attempting to convince Mrs von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, to succeed Mr Stoltenberg amid fears a suitable candidate will not emerge in the next 12 months.

“We’re going to have a problem next year when it becomes clear that the field is no stronger than this year,” a second source said.

Mr Biden and Mrs von der Leyen have built “a strong bond” in recent years, fostering close transatlantic ties over China, Ukraine and the climate, another source said.

Ursula von der Leyen

She was said to now “rely on Washington for intelligence” in a shift away from information relayed to her by European agencies, which misjudged Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Fluent in French, she would likely secure the support of Emmanuel Macron, who was opposed to Mr Wallace’s candidacy.

Meanwhile, Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor and a former political rival of Mrs von der Leyen, would like to see her out of the frame to keep a top EU job.

Concerns, however, may arise over her recent poor handling of the German defence ministry, which she led between 2013 and 2019.

In 2015, it was reported that German soldiers had to replace heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a NATO exercise, to hide their lack of equipment.

The European Commission president has previously said it was an honour to be included on a list of potential successors. However, her spokesman said she was “not available for the job, be it now or in the future”.

In private talks, Mrs von der Leyen reportedly told Mr Biden she would not be available to take over any role at NATO until at least next year.

White House strategists see a window opening up to poach her after next year’s European elections.

Mrs von der Leyen is expected to be a frontrunner for EU leaders to retain her role as the bloc’s most senior official in charge of the Commission.

However, there are doubts over whether she would also be able to command support from the European Parliament, with Right-wing MEPs, who oppose her green policies, set to form an alliance.

“It brings the NATO job into the discussions over Europe’s other top jobs,” a source said.

Last week, Mr Stoltenberg said he was “not seeking an extension” having already delayed his departure to provide stability for the alliance amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He will remain in post until October 2024, meaning he will have served as NATO’s secretary-general for a decade by the time he is due to stand down.

There is no official procedure for appointing the military alliance’s top official. Its 31 member states must hold discussions over potential candidates until a consensus is reached.

Mr Wallace dropped out of the race to replace Mr Stoltenberg last month after his candidacy was opposed by the White House and France, which wants a leader from the European Union to fill the role.

Wallace support for Ukraine an issue

The Defence Secretary was said to have been a favourite with a number of NATO member states, but there were significant tensions with Washington, the alliance’s de facto leader, over his unprecedented support for Ukraine.

He has often gone further in his military backing for Kyiv, including on tanks and long-range cruise missiles, than the US.

Other NATO allies favoured a prime minister or head of state to replace Mr Stoltenberg, while others still had pushed for a female candidate.

Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, emerged as the potential frontrunner to take up the role after a recent meeting with Mr Biden at the White House.

However, she ruled herself out of contention when member states raised concerns over the possibility of having a third consecutive Scandinavian leader of NATO.

Turkey was also expected to oppose the Danish prime minister after copies of the Koran and Turkish flags were set alight in Copenhagen last week.

Caliber.Az

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