New Delhi: Mark Rutte, the longest-serving Dutch prime minister, is set to assume the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Secretary General, taking over the reins from Jens Stolenberg — a former Norwegian prime minister. Ambassadors from the alliance’s 32 member countries arrived at the decision at a meeting in Brussels Wednesday.
“Leading this organisation is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I’m grateful to all the Allies for placing their trust in me,” Rutte wrote on social media after his appointment.
Rutte, nicknamed ‘Teflon Mark’, has served as prime minister of The Netherlands for four terms since 2010. He resigned as the Dutch PM in July 2023 after his four-party coalition — two years into the term — could not agree on how to rein in immigration. He is currently serving as a caretaker prime minister until the new one is sworn in.
Set to take charge on 1 October, the 57-year-old is known to be a harsh critic of Russia. His appointment comes at a time when not all members of the pro-Ukraine bloc are ready to pledge support to the eastern European nation in its war against Russia.
It is a tremendous honour to be appointed Secretary-General of NATO. The Alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security. Leading this organisation is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I’m grateful to all the Allies for placing their trust in me. I…
— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) June 26, 2024
Within the bloc, there is opposition in particular from Victor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister. Moreover, the impending US elections and the possibility of former president Donald Trump coming back to power may also cause some tension within NATO.
Since NATO’s decisions are based on consensus, Rutte could only become the new chief after he convinced Orban for support, and the Romanian candidate — President Klaus Iohannis — withdrew his candidacy last week. His appointment came after he committed to Orban that Hungary would not be not be forced to participate in NATO’s activities to support Ukraine, in accordance with the country’s deal with current chief Stolenberg.
Following the recent European elections, where Hungarians voted in huge numbers in favour of #peace, we reached an important agreement with #NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg . We agreed that no Hungarian personnel will take part in the activities of NATO in Ukraine and no… pic.twitter.com/Cliu4rZGCE
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 18, 2024
Turkey too, in the past, had raised objections against Rutte’s candidacy, but changed its stance in April this year.
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Coup attempt in Bolivia — ‘failed’ or ‘fake’?
A five-hour ‘failed’ coup attempt in Bolivia has caused speculation around the world. Troops and army vehicles Wednesday entered the presidential palace Plaza Murillo in Bolivia’s capital, La Paz. A standoff followed between President Luis Arce and Army General Juan Jose Zuniga. Zuniga was ordered by Arce to withdraw troops and subsequently arrested. “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers,” Arce commanded Zuniga.
The president then thanked the people of the country for their support, after having successfully averted a coup against his government and protected democracy.
Investigation has been initiated and the evidence so far suggests planning for the coup had begun in May. However, there is still some confusion if this was an ‘isolated act’ by the army general or if the 17 others, who were handcuffed and paraded at the square, were also involved.
However, the events have given rise to scepticism and speculation, with Zuniga telling the press that he staged the coup at the president’s request so that Arce could boost his popularity. The incident is being used to remember the ‘dark times’ of military rule in the country between 1964 and 1982. Bolivia has seen more coups — both attempted and successful — than any other country in the world.
This comes at a time, when the president is facing electoral threat from Evo Morales, a former president and Arce’s mentor. Arce was part of the Morales government in 2006, when he was appointed economy minister. Morales was forced to resign in 2019 over disputed election results. Reports suggest Morales might contest elections again in 2025.
Japanese currency at historic low
Japanese currency Yen has reached a 38-year low with authorities watching the slide “with urgency”. The currency has lost one-third of its value since 2021.
The Yen has been steadily depreciating since the Bank of Japan ended its negative interest rate policy and scrapped its yield curve control policy in March, CNBC reported.
The Japanese interest rates are at a record low, a policy introduced to keep costs and wages from rising, widening the gap between the Yen and the Dollar. Investors have been selling off their currency due to such a gap, lowering its value even more.
The country’s top currency diplomat has also been replaced as the Japanese Yen hit the 161-mark against the Dollar for the first time since 1986. Atsushi Mimura was appointed the new top currency diplomat, replacing Masato Kanda. There were also reports suggesting the replacement of Vice-Finance Minister Eiji Chatani.
Government intervention, which is rare, might be a step the Japanese may take to save the currency from declining any further. Federal reserve cuts and Yen-buying are being speculated. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said Thursday that authorities would take action as necessary to prevent damage to the economy, Al Jazeera reported.
France may witness ‘civil war’: Macron
France is gearing up for snap polls and just this week, incumbent President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on the ‘possibility of a civil war’ have sparked controversy.
Macron, a ‘centrist’, has claimed that the win of ‘Far-Right’ or ‘Far-Left’ this election may bring the country to the brink of a ‘civil war’.
In a podcast interview to Generation Do It Yourself, Macron said the Right-wing reduces people’s identity to their religion or origin, and thus, pushes people towards civil war. The Left too, he said, uses divisive tactics for electioneering, having the same effect on people’s identities as the Right.
To this, the far-Right leader Marine Le Pen said Macron’s comments indicated “he knows he will lose” the elections. She told RTL Radio Tuesday, “He always campaigned saying ‘it’s me or chaos’. It’s a very weak argument that shows that he thinks he’s lost this election.”
Macron announced snap elections after Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally (RN) won in France during the European parliamentary elections held early this month — a move, which is being considered ‘risky’, as previously reported by ThePrint.
Opinion polls have pointed to the victory of the RN in the elections scheduled for 30 June and 7 July, and that Macron’s party may only claim 19 percent support.
In the most recent French elections in 2022, Macron was re-elected by a 58.5 percent vote share over Le Pen, after a very close fight between the two. Macron was the first sitting French president in 20 years to be re-elected.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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