Fogh for NATO?

[bogh]

Financial Times: Fogh for NATO
The Financial Times says that Britain, Germany and France are rooting for the Danish prime minister for NATO's top political position.

Britain, Germany and France have privately agreed that Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen should be the next secretary-general of NATO, according to the Financial Times.

"Gordon Brown, UK prime minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, and Angela Merkel, German chancellor, appear to have agreed that the 56-year-old Dane should become Nato's chief diplomat," the report says.

European
The post of secretary-general of NATO has traditionally been reserved for a European, while the top military post of the Alliance has traditionally been from the United States.

The report cited unnamed diplomats as saying that the United States was expected to confirm its backing for Fogh Rasmussen ahead of NATO's 60th anniversary summit next month.

Canada
The report was in some contrast to a Washington Post report at the weekend that suggested that Canada's Defence Minister Peter MacKay was a strong contender for the political NATO post who had the support of Washington.

The Post said that Vice President Joe Biden would be attempting to convince European allies in coming days to support MacKay's candidacy. MacKay himself said: "That's new to me. I have never had any discussions with Vice President Joe Biden about it."

But he added that; "I don't think that traditions, in the sense that geography should be a restriction on any position within NATO, should apply given the fact that Canada ... is a 60-year participant in NATO."

Fogh Rasmussen
MacKay, like Fogh Rasmussen, has denied that he is seeking the NATO job. In Fogh Rasmussen's case, however, there has been widespread conjecture in Denmark that he has been angling for the NATO job for some time and that he enjoys the support of the larger countries in the Alliance.

This notwithstanding, Fogh Rasmussen has repeatedly said that he is not seeking an international posting, and that he will remain Prime Minister of Denmark 'as long as the electorate wants me to'. He has just over two years left of his electoral period.

Other candidates
Other candidates for the political leadership of NATO have also been mooted, including Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the former British Defence Secretary Des Browne.

[Admiral Yi]

Step down as PM to take the job?  That's wacky man.

[Scipio]

Maybe he should wait until he's no longer PM.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

fogh for NATO?
Continent cut off?

[Brazen]

bogh for NATO!

[Barrister]

Take Mackay for NATO - please.

[Grey Fox]

Take Mackay for NATO - please.

Really, you don't like him?

[Barrister]

He's done well as foreign minister, don't get me wrong.  But yeah, not a huge fan.

[Liep]

Step down as PM to take the job?  That's wacky man.

It's for the better for the nation. When he's gone we'll get a fat drunk guy. Who doesn't love fat drunk guys?

[derspiess]

Step down as PM to take the job?  That's wacky man.

It's for the better for the nation. When he's gone we'll get a fat drunk guy. Who doesn't love fat drunk guys?

Sounds great in theory, but in practice you get:

[Mr.Penguin]

It's for the better for the nation. When he's gone we'll get a fat drunk guy. Who doesn't love fat drunk guys?
[/quote]

Hey, the fat drunk guy has lost a couple of pound and says he now eats alot of fruit and vegetables, even got a brand new suit...

[Liep]

Hey, the fat drunk guy has lost a couple of pound and says he now eats alot of fruit and vegetables, even got a brand new suit...

So he's regaining his figure of the past?

[Liep]

This was during his reign as Health minister.

[Valdemar]

Right like you can't find good things on anyone.. like Villys huge gasguzzling rover when he is far left, or Holger's secret support of the tobacco industry because he is an avid pipie smoker

V

[Liep]

Right like you can't find good things on anyone.. like Villys huge gasguzzling rover when he is far left, or Holger's secret support of the tobacco industry because he is an avid pipie smoker

V

I'm sure you can, but it doesn't make it less fun.