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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen apparently failed in the race to succeed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg due to statements made during her visit to Washington DC in June. “Prime Minister Frederiksen has taken himself out of the game in discussions with members of Congress,” the “Welt” (Monday edition) reported, citing informed NATO diplomats.

“Frederiksen said many right things about Ukraine,” the insider said. The Danish Prime Minister has also put the topics of “LBQT and climate protection at the top of her agenda for NATO”. Conservative members of Congress in particular were not happy about this and so they rejected Frederiksen as the new head of NATO. According to the information, it should be announced at the end of this year that the Dane would receive the office.

Stoltenberg’s term has been extended to October 2024

At the same time, according to the report, Germany and France have been pushing in recent weeks to stop deciding on NATO personnel before the European elections in June 2024. This means that the appointment should only take place in close coordination with the allocation of top political positions in the EU.

According to the “Welt”, that is also the reason why Stoltenberg’s term of office is not only extended to July 31, 2024, but to October 31, 2024.

According to the newspaper report, Portugal’s Social Democratic Prime Minister António Luís Santos da Costa is currently being mentioned in NATO circles as a promising contender for the post of NATO chief. It was “too much too early” for decisions, it said. The U.S. government also continues to favor a woman for the post.

(ton-line/afp)