Brussels, London Suddenly Mette Fredriksen interrupts her speech in the Danish Parliament. “What I have just read here is not mine. Or from another person, ”said the head of government last week. Your manuscript was written by an artificial intelligence (AI), by the supposed all-rounder program ChatGPT. “Fascinating and terrifying at the same time,” she summed up.
With her unconventional nature, Denmark’s prime minister has earned a reputation far beyond her own country’s borders. Her AI speech was also widely reported in US media. Frederiksen is one of the most successful social democrats of her generation. When she was re-elected in November last year, her party achieved its best result in 20 years.
Against this background, it is not surprising that the Dane is now being traded for a top job in Brussels: High-ranking diplomats confirmed to the Handelsblatt that the 45-year-old is the favorite to succeed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term of office ends in October. Stoltenberg has repeatedly made it clear that he is not seeking an extension of his mandate.
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But it is possible, according to Brussels, that Stoltenberg stays in office a few more months to give Frederiksen enough time for an orderly handover of government. A decision on Stoltenberg’s actions could be made at the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius in July.
From the point of view of her supporters, the main thing that speaks in favor of Frederiksen is that she has demonstrated leadership. Denmark is one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine in Europe. The Danish government recently announced that it would spend significantly more on the military. By 2030 at the latest, the country wants to have achieved the NATO goal, according to which allies should invest an amount equal to two percent of economic power in defense.
Frederiksen would be the first woman to head NATO
The fact that Frederiksen is a woman also plays a role: in its almost 75-year history, NATO has so far only been led by men. The fact that the Prime Minister will be received by US President Joe Biden in the White House this month is fueling speculation in Brussels.
However, some NATO countries are uneasy about the fact that Frederiksen would once again be moving to Northern Europe. Incumbent Stoltenberg is Norwegian. His predecessor was the Dane Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Rasmussen was also Prime Minister of Denmark before his appointment to Brussels. So far, the General Secretaries have all come from Northern, Southern or Western Europe.
Great Britain enjoys a good reputation, especially in Eastern Europe, because of its position in Ukraine.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace could pose a threat to Frederiksen. The government in London has been promoting the 53-year-old conservative for weeks. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will use his visit to Washington on Thursday to present Wallace to US President Joe Biden as a suitable candidate.
“Britain has always been a leading contributor to NATO, meeting its 2% pledge. We have played a leading role in NATO operations and are perceived as thought leaders,” Sunak said before leaving for Washington. Wallace, who has headed the Defense Department since 2019, is respected around the world for supporting Ukraine militarily.
Britain has strong arguments for Ben Wallace
At the same time, Sunak put forward the two strongest arguments in favor of his candidate: unlike Denmark, Great Britain has more than fulfilled its financial NATO obligations and is even aiming to spend 2.5 percent of economic output on defense in the long term. The British, moreover, with their early arms deliveries to Ukraine, have earned a reputation for resolutely defying Putin’s aggression – even more so than Denmark. This is particularly popular in Eastern Europe.
Wallace himself has not only expressed his interest in the NATO post, but also made it clear where he would lead the alliance: “The world is becoming more and more dangerous, more uncertain and more anxious, and the next Secretary-General must be in a position to have the necessary funds to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand,” the Briton told the Washington Post.
In other words, Wallace, who spent part of his military service in Germany, will urge NATO members to keep increasing their defense spending. “NATO needs to ensure its members are up to the task, and some members are fitter than others,” he said.
Wallace is still considered an outsider in Brussels. Resistance is said to come from France in particular. According to the French, Wallace’s security policy thinking is too American. Frederiksen could end up being the candidate everyone can live with.
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