The last contender, Romania's President Klaus Johannis, has announced that he is formally withdrawing from the race for the next Secretary General.
Throughout the year, support for Mark Rutte has grown increasingly. Sweden announced its support in April.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he and Mark Rutte have agreed that Hungary will not be expected to contribute to Ukraine via NATO, either with troops or money under Rutte's leadership.
Slovakia's President, Peter Pellegrini, stated in a televised speech on the same day that the country will not stand in the way of a Rutte leadership:
– After consulting with both candidates and after consulting with Prime Minister Robert Fico and the Slovak government, Slovakia can consider supporting the Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the head of the alliance, says Peter Pellegrini according to the online magazine Politico.