Nato presidency: will Iohannis stand against Rutte?
Last Thursday, the United States, Germany, the UK and France all backed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to succeed Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg - apparently signalling a done deal. But then came a flurry of media reports saying that Romania's president Klaus Iohannis was interested in running - with the backing of Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey. The news has divided commentators.
A divisive own goal
Republica.ro is unsparing with its criticism:
“What message is Klaus Iohannis sending? That Romania is no longer a stable partner on the eastern flank but is instead pursuing a transactional policy much like Erdoğan's. That he has no problem reaching out to the illiberal Viktor Orbán (Putin's Trojan horse in the EU and Nato) for the sake of pushing through personal political interests. That he lacks the diplomatic skills to distinguish between the EU and Nato and to see that Romania is sitting on the same bench as Bulgaria. Both countries are frustrated about not having been fully accepted into the Schengen area. Iohannis is creating a rift in Nato - just when the alliance needs to prove that it is intact.”
Viable gambit for Eastern Europe
Iohannis may have his sights firmly set on the future, speculates Adevărul columnist Stefan Vlaston.
“I hope that Iohannis is aiming, if not for Eastern Europe to get the Nato presidency, then for it to secure one or several key positions after the EU elections. This would mean his intentions had integrity. ... The fact that Mircea Geoană [a Romanian] is the deputy secretary general of Nato shows that other heads of state and government believe that Eastern European countries are becoming increasingly relevant to Europe's future. ... Let's hope that Iohannis is not just looking out for himself, but that his aim is to boost Eastern Europe influence in Nato and the EU.”