Having been unceremoniously kicked from his position as UK Prime Minister, rumours are now circulating that Boris Johnson could be the next head of NATO.
Boris Johnson — Britain’s outgoing Prime Minister who was deposed after months of non-stop scandals — may end up being the next head of Western military alliance NATO, with officials at home and abroad now reportedly backing his potential candidacy.
Although his ascension to the position is far from a sure thing due to a combination of both domestic and international opposition, as well as possibly Johnson’s own personal ambition, the Prime Minister’s extremely good personal relationship with the Ukrainian government — which is not a NATO member — has reportedly propelled him to the front of the pack.
According to a report by The Telegraph, senior members of the Conservative Party are backing Johnson’s ascension to Secretary-General of the organisation, with one Ukrainian MP, Oleksii Goncharenko, also publicly voicing support for the current PM to assume the roll after current NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg steps down, which is reportedly expected to happen in September next year.
“Boris Johnson’s leadership during this war has ensured vital military, economic and humanitarian supplies have been provided to Ukraine,” Goncharenko said, emphasising how the UK had become one of his country’s “most important supporters”.
“He would be the right person to take over from Jens Stoltenberg as he understands the challenges that Nato and the West face,” he continued. “He will always support Ukraine in our fight against the 21st century’s Hitler and will support Nato members and Nato goals with the same level of unstinting support.”
The publication also reports that UK MPs Richard Drax and Mark Francois have publicly given Johnson their backing, as well as former Brexit minister David Jones, who argued that the PM was suitable for the position due to him having already “led the Western response to Putin”.
However, while Johnson has indeed appeared to have built up significant political support to assume the position of NATO Secretary-General, he also faces significant opposition that may in the end prevent him becoming the head of one of the world’s largest military alliances.
No doubt the greatest of these obstacles is named Emmanuel Macron, who — like every other national leader within the alliance via their governments — would have to unanimously approvate the appointment
Considering how the French President has previously called Johnson a “clown” and a “knucklehead”, his support on the face of it appears unlikely, even without considering the geopolitical difficulties of an English appointment to an international alliance that includes the French.
Another serious obstacle could in fact be the Prime Minister’s own ambition, with reports now hinting that Boris Johnson may try to hold on to his position as Prime Minister despite resigning as head of the Conservative Party earlier this month.
While most certainly an outside possibility, especially considering previous reporting on the matter, recent polling now suggests that the move may — in theory at least — be possible, with almost half of Conservative Party voters now wanting BoJo to stay on in the top job, rather than hand it down to either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak.
According to The Telegraph, 45 per cent of Tory voters now say that they wish Johnson had not resigned, with the exact same percentage also saying that he is right to have quit.
Meanwhile, the publication reports campaigners as claiming that 13,000 party members have called for a second ballot on whether Johnson should be ousted as Tory head.