David Cameron ‘courted’ for top NATO post – POLITICO.eu

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron | EPA/Andy Rain

Brussels post for former PM would give Britain major role on Continent post-Brexit.

By Tom McTague and Giulia Paravicini

2/18/17, 5:30 AM CET

Updated 2/18/17, 9:48 AM CET

LONDON U.K. cabinet ministers and a foreign statesman are courtingDavid Cameron to raise his hand to bethe next secretary general of NATO, according to people familiar with the situation.

Barely half a year since stepping down as prime minister, Cameron has held what one British official calledconversations about the top job at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels. Hes not ruled it out, though Cameron has on separate occasions refused to make any commitment, these people said.

The post, currently held by the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, wont likely be open for at least another year, and as one person who has talked to him about it noted, Cameron wouldnt want to jump out of the gate early by declaring his intentions.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Defense Secretary Michael Fallon wantCameron atNATO, a senior official said.

The formal jockeying for the post wouldnt begin before the end of the year, NATO officials say. Candidates are put forward by their nations and chosen by consensus of the 28 members. In reality, the most powerful states, led by the U.S., decide among themselves whom to pick. The top civilian job at the alliance is by custom held by a non-American.

Spokespeople for Cameron and the British government declined to comment.

Someone close to Prime Minister Theresa May saidthe initiative to get Cameron the job has not crossed Maysdesk or that of any of her senior staff.

Last month, Cameron met former NATO secretary general and Danish ex-premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen in London, according to people who know both men. The pair discussed the secretary general job, the future of NATO and the threat posed to the West by radical Islam and Russianaggression in Ukraine and elsewhere, these people said.

Rasmussen declined to comment.

Camerons supporters see in him a strong candidate to lead the alliance at a tumultuous time, asPresident Donald Trump bothdismisses NATO as obsolete and sends surrogates this week to push Europeans to spend more on defense. Itwould also anchorBritain in astrong leadership role on the Continent at time whenthe U.K. is preparing to leave theEU by 2019, following last summers referendum that ended Camerons career in British politics.

The timing of any change atop NATO remains unclear. Stoltenberg, who got a four year term in 2014 with a possible option to extendfor a fifth,may want to stay in post until April 2019 to see in the 70th anniversary of the alliance, which would probably be marked by a special summit in the United States, according to asenior NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Jens Stoltenberg is not even halfway through his term of office, so no one is really thinking about this operationally, this official said, adding that the speculation about Cameron as more about domestic politics than NATO politics.

The NATO job could be given a strongermandate, givingCameron a bigger playing field than the current secretary general.

Cameron would be a formidable candidate.The past two secretary generals were both former prime ministers of Scandinavian nations, and Cameronwould continue thetradition of having a head of government in the role, and in this case from a major NATO power.

His supporters note it would be easier to win Americanblessingfor acandidate who comes from a 2 per-center a member country that hits the NATO target for military expenditure. Only five, among them the U.K. and the U.S., of the 28 currently meet thethreshold of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense.

U.K. government aides have mentioned Britains defense minister Michael Fallon as a less high-profile British option. Following the EU referendum last year, Fallon pledged to increase Britains engagement with NATO to compensate for its withdrawal from the EU.

Cameron is committed to a series of new projects that will take him through until at least mid-2018, including a new academic role related to international development set to be announced in the next few weeks, according to an ally who remains close to the former PM.

People are keen in government for him to do it, asenior government aide said. They think hes an incredibly smart guy who would do a very good job representing Britain and would take it very seriously. Theres a broad view that hed be very good. The big question is whether he wants to do it. Im not actually sure he does. Conversations have been had saying why dont you do it, but hes saying I dont want it.

The official said seniorfigures in the British governmentwere looking at whether the job could be given a strongermandate, so Cameron had a bigger playing field than the current secretary general. At the moment hes a bit cold on it, this officialsaid. People are trying to convince him. Its true people are courting him, but hes not there yet.

The official said senior cabinet ministers including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Fallon all supported Cameron.

Someone familiarwith the former prime ministers discussions about NATO saidnothing has been offered either formally or informally.

Agovernment official said the initial soundings would not have been taken without Number 10s tacit approval. It would be difficult for people who have been speaking to him and encouraging him to be freelancing. I havent had indications that its come directly from Number 10, but you just dont do these conversations if there was a risk that if he said yes it would not all be fine.

Such an initiative is also unlikely to have been undertaken without at least tacit American support, the official added.

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