Marta Gichko10:28, 19.06.25

Dozens of positions are expected to be eliminated, including among the personal assistants to the Secretary General.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has initiated a major reorganization of the alliance, which includes the reduction of dozens of positions at its headquarters in Brussels. The decision was made against the backdrop of increasingly loud statements by US President Donald Trump about a possible withdrawal from NATO and calls for improving the efficiency of the organization, writes Politico .

It is expected that two of the eight international departments will be eliminated – namely the Public Diplomacy Division (NATO’s press service) and the Executive Management Division (responsible for personnel).

In addition, the positions of assistants to the secretary general, who headed the relevant structures, were abolished.

Dozens of employees will lose their jobs, some of whom will likely be transferred to other positions or rehired on a contract basis.

These steps are aimed at “optimizing NATO’s operations” and increasing flexibility in decision-making. Rutte has already been called the “Trump whisperer” for his ability to influence the American president. His task is to convince the US to remain in NATO while maintaining economic efficiency.

“Rutte is changing the structure of the support staff in line with his priorities: reinvestment in defense and maximum efficiency,” security researcher Alexander Mattelaer noted.

Rutte’s reforms are expected to be an important argument during the NATO summit in The Hague, where the alliance’s further actions in the face of global instability — including the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East — will be discussed.

(C)UNIAN 2025