NATO

Oana Lungescu, who was Nato’s chief spokesperson for 13 years, said money would be a major test for Rutte. “He will need to bolster his credentials as a strong advocate of increased defence spending across the alliance and that will help consolidate his credibility as the Nato secretary general, both with Washington, but also with the countries of central and eastern Europe, which perhaps were a bit lukewarm at the beginning when his name was put forward.”

If buttering up Trump is a requirement for the role, so much the better for Rutte, who “who was able to establish a good working relationship with him when he was Dutch prime minister,” former NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu told Euronews. Rutte’s seen as a down-to-earth leader, often pictured riding his bicycle around his hometown of The Hague, or crunching an apple as he walks to a meeting from his prime ministerial office. But his friendly-but-tough approach with Trump could “stand him and NATO in good stead” if the Republican wins in November, added Lungescu, who is now a Distinguished Fellow at think tank the Royal United Services Institute.

NATO's next boss, who takes over from Jens Stoltenberg, will need coalition-building skills to hold the alliance together. Challenges facing NATO include Russia's war in Ukraine and political uncertainty in Washington ahead of the upcoming election. Former NATO Spokesperson and RUSI Distinguished Fellow, Oana Lungescu speaks to us.