Biden Considers Ursula von der Leyen as the Top Candidate for NATO Secretary-General

U.S. President Joe Biden considers European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to be the leading candidate for NATO Secretary-General in 2024. This information was reported by The Daily Telegraph, citing anonymous sources within the alliance.

One of the sources indicated that the U.S. President has attempted to persuade the German politician to lead NATO, stemming from concerns that a suitable successor to the current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg may not be found in the remaining 12 months.

“We will face challenges next year because it is becoming clear that the situation cannot improve as much as it did this year,” added the other source from the publication.

Another interlocutor from the newspaper noted that there has been a “strong connection” between Biden and von der Leyen in recent years, which has strengthened transatlantic cooperation on issues related to China, Ukraine, and climate change.

As the article states, the EU leader is now “relying on Washington for intelligence data,” signifying a departure from the previous approach, when information from European intelligence agencies was predominant.

The Daily Telegraph also reported that von der Leyen’s excellent command of French could secure the support of French President Emmanuel Macron for her candidacy. At the same time, the fact that she led Germany’s Ministry of Defense from 2013 to 2019 may be an unfavorable factor for her.