US source of delay in nomination

Date: 09/11/1995

By Elizabeth Wise

IT was a disappointing day for NATO watchers, and for Ruud Lubbers, as alliance ambassadors failed to name a new secretary general during their long-awaited Wednesday meeting.

As late as Monday, most people were betting that the former Dutch Prime Minister would win the coveted post, especially after Lubbers returned from Washington saying his meetings with US officials had gone well. So well that the Hague formally nominated Lubbers, something he had refused until he felt sure of getting the job.

But it was the very same US officials who then threatened to dash Lubbers' candidacy, apparently out of irritation with the way he was thrust into the limelight by European governments.

The joint announcement of support for Lubbers from Paris and London irritated the Clinton administration, which had no candidate of its own, as apparently neither Chirac's nor Major's governments had consulted it.

Americans seemed particularly annoyed by Chirac's role in the episode. France is not a member of NATO's integrated military structure, while the US provides most of the alliance's military capacity. “It's beginning to look like it's a French-run alliance and I think the Americans wanted to send a reminder that the issue must be squared with them,” a NATO source said.

There were rumours that Chirac backed Lubbers because he speaks better French than contender Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, Denmark's former foreign minister. In addition to his native Dutch, Lubbers speaks English, French, German and Spanish.

Rumours of alternative compromise candidates have begun circulating once more. The names of Spanish Foreign Minister Javier Solana and Italian Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli have been floating through NATO corridors. But as late as Tuesday, the Spanish government said Solana was not available for the job.