Taking his seat at a NATO summit must be a bittersweet moment for Mark Rutte, the alliance’s secretary-general. For among the 32 national leaders at the top table, several find the Dutchman insufferable.
It grates on some governments when Mr Rutte praises President Donald Trump and—far from rebuking him for calling NATO a „paper tiger” and demanding that members show him „loyalty”—thanks him for strengthening the alliance. Worse, Mr Rutte seems to enjoy playing Mr Trump’s enforcer a little too much. A former Dutch prime minister, he reminds some of a finger-wagging preacher when he scolds Europeans to spend more on their defence. Or while chiding them to avoid „empty” talk about deterring Russia without American help. Southern Europeans, in particular, remember lectures from Prime Minister Rutte to spend less. Now, as NATO boss, he wants them to borrow and rearm. Mr Trump calls Mr Rutte his friend and a man „respected all over the world”, setting colleagues’ teeth a-grinding once more.
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Against that, Mr Rutte can be confident that many allies want him in the room. He soothes Mr Trump’s rages as few other Europeans can. Mr Rutte is willing to call Mr Trump „Daddy” and hail him as leader of the free world, if that stops America’s president storming out of summits like an angry old king.
