Canada's Deputy Prime Minister may become NATO Secretary General
Chrystia Freeland is one of the likely candidates for the post.
The term of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was due to expire in September but has been extended until 2023, and for several months now political circles have been actively discussing who could replace him. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is now at the center of speculation as talk of her possible appointment to the top post in NATO has gained momentum.
At least four different sources — in Ottawa, Washington and Brussels, where NATO is headquartered — reportedly say that Freeland's name has been persistently mentioned in international defense and security circles as a potential successor to Stoltenberg, who has been in office since 2014.
The appointment is likely: the seventy-year-old military alliance is seeking a new perspective that a woman could bring to the post of secretary general, and it should be someone of strong character and international connections.
Chris Scaluba, an expert at the Atlantic Council think-tank in Washington, says the country itself will actively promote Freeland, because having a Canadian secretary general might be desirable in terms of boosting Canada's participation in the alliance. In addition, she is in good standing with the right people:
"She's broadly well thought-of in European and trans-Atlantic security circles. I think that gives her a legitimate shot."
The fight for Stoltenberg's seat has been going on for a long time, since early 2020, and various contenders have been named, including Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic of Croatia, Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania and Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia. Freeland's name emerged last fall.
Scaluba believes that a significant contribution to promoting her candidacy will have to be made personally by Prime Minister Trudeau and will be done unofficially
