NATO will stay ‘strong’ whoever wins French election: Rutte

The Hindu – International

You are logged in

Loading…

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one.

Your active subscription(s)

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials,
Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Products you’ve access to

Additional Subscription Benefits

Account Settings

Need help with your subscription?

September 10, 2026 e-Paper

The View From India
Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show
News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache
Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Science For All
The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in!

Data Point
Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

THEdge
At the cutting edge of education and careers

Health Matters
Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

Gender Agenda
Stories from beyond the binary.

The Hindu On Books
Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

September 10, 2026 e-Paper

Published – September 10, 2026 10:04 pm IST – Berlin

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks at a German ambassadors' conference in Berlin, Germany, on September 10, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Thursday (September 10, 2026) that the alliance would remain "strong" whoever wins next year's presidential election in member state France.

Polls show that far-right leader Marine Le Pen — who has questioned France's role in NATO and support for Ukraine — has her best shot of winning the presidency.

"The elections in France will be in May next year, and again, whatever the outcome, NATO is there, will stay together, will stay strong," Mr. Rutte told a meeting of German diplomats in Berlin.

"I have every confidence that whoever is elected in whichever election will stay the course when it comes to the key elements of investing in defence, making sure Ukraine will not lose this war."

The NATO chief said the alliance should not be "naive" over the menace from Russia in the face of calls to reach an accommodation with President Vladimir Putin.

"This is long-term. It is a threat," he said.

The comments came as well against the backdrop of the crushing election victory of Germany's far-right AfD in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, a result that has rocked the country political status quo.

"It's not up to me to comment on national politics," Mr. Rutte said.

He said that NATO would work with "whoever is elected" to lead its 32 member states.

Mr. Rutte, who served as prime minister of the Netherlands for over a decade, said that politics was a "combat sport" and advised governments in general to stick to reforms they see as necessary to boost the economy.

"Staying the course is always the best," he said.

Published – September 10, 2026 10:04 pm IST

France

/

NATO

/

Germany

Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Fonte: The Hindu – International