Born, one-year extension in Stoltenberg

Faced with the Russian war in Ukraine and the need not to proceed with a change of guard at the top of NATO at this stage, the leaders of the Atlantic Alliance today formalized the extension of the mandate for one year, until 30 September 2023, of Jens Stoltenberg. At least for the moment, the race for the succession of the former Norwegian premier has ended, a race that saw Italy in the front row, as our country has not had a NATO secretary general since the time of Manlio Brosio (1964-1971). The extra year granted to Stoltenberg, according to qualified Alliance sources to Adnkronos, could also increase our chances. To fill the post, the natural candidate could be the current European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni. Former premier and former foreign minister, atlantist, with a dense network of international relations developed first in the government in Rome and now in Brussels, Gentiloni could hardly have left his post in a few months, in the middle of the implementation of the PNRR, even if to move to the Alliance. The situation is different now that the times are getting longer, the sources point out. In a year and a half he will be nearing the end of his term as commissioner – the European elections are scheduled for May 2024, so eight months after the Alliance’s changing of the guard – and at that point it could be conceivable that he will leave the Commission early. . In any case, Gentiloni would not be the only Italian candidate for the succession to Stoltenberg: in recent months there has also been talk of Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini and the president of the House Foreign Affairs Commission, Piero Fassino.