Mark Rutte’s reputation as a consensus builder will be tested as soon as he takes charge at Nato

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Mark Rutte became known in diplomatic circles as 'The Trump Whisperer' for the way he gently talked down the then US president in 2018. Photograph: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg It is testament to the skills of former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte as an adroit handler of political relationships that he’s managed to persuade a fractious 32-state Nato to back his candidacy for secretary general unanimously. The alliance has no formal naming process. As a pretty high bar, unanimity is the sole requirement. The final piece in Rutte’s seven-month campaign fell into place on Thursday evening when his last serious opponent, Romanian...