The Facts

• Earlier this month, Rutte cleared a big hurdle after securing the support of Hungary's Viktor Orbán. Given that there is no formal procedure to choose a NATO chief, allies must reach a consensus on a candidate.The North Atlantic Council on Wednesday selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to replace Jens Stoltenberg as the Secretary-General of the NATO military alliance from Oct. 1, 2024.

• This comes as NATO ambassadors confirmed his appointment during a meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, ahead of a summit in Washington from July 9 to 11 where NATO heads of government will formally welcome Rutte.