The buzz was loud enough for a reporter to ask Freeland about it directly on Wednesday, as Liberal cabinet ministers gathered on the West Coast to strategize for the fall session of parliament. Predictably, the deputy prime minister didn’t bite and spoke of how she already has “two busy jobs” – a reference to her main portfolio as finance minister. At least four different sources — in Ottawa, Washington and Brussels, where NATO is based — say Freeland’s name has been floated for several months in international defense and security circles as a possible successor to the current secretary general, former Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg, who has been working since 2014. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference ahead of the NATO summit at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (Olivier Matthys/The Associated Press) The parlor game is also played in other capitals. And while most of the speculation — first reported publicly by journalist Paul Wells in his online column — revolves around the domestic political implications of a possible Freeland candidacy, the chatter in international circles is turning on a different axis. “There are a lot of very qualified women out there who would be very good candidates,” a top NATO official told CBC News last month. (The source spoke to CBC News confidentially because they are not authorized to speak on the matter publicly.) “There seems to be some potential for a woman to be next [secretary general].” Stoltenberg’s term was due to expire this month, but NATO leaders – reeling from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – extended that term until 2023. Most people you talk to in the steel and glass concourses of NATO headquarters will repeat the same mantra – that the seven-decade-old military alliance wants to win the fresh perspective that a woman would bring to the post of secretary-general, and that you’re looking for someone with cruelty and international connections. They are also cautious about Freeland’s chances, suggesting she sits around the “middle of the pack” of women who would be strong, capable candidates. “Having a Canadian [secretary general] may be welcome in terms of supercharging Canada’s participation in the alliance,” said Chris Skaluba of the Washington-based Atlantic Council think-tank. “She’s generally well-regarded in European and transatlantic security circles. I think that gives her a legitimate shot.” Skalumba said “the rumor mill is quite rampant” and senior sources within NATO were quick to tamp down the speculation. Stoltenberg “has more than a year left on his current term, so there will be plenty of time for names to percolate,” said a second source, who spoke to CBC News last month. The race for a replacement was underway in earnest in early 2020, well ahead of the original deadline for Stoltenberg’s replacement. It reached a fever pitch in the summer of 2021, when US-based Politico wrote about speculation in Brussels that three former presidents of NATO countries — Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović of Croatia, Dalia Grybauskaitė of Lithuania and Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia — were among the top contenders. . Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, talks with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović at a working session at the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland on July 9, 2016. (Czarek Sokolowski/The Associated Press) Sources in Brussels said Freeland’s name came up last fall. The question that wasn’t exactly answered Wednesday was whether Freeland might be interested in the job. As someone steeped in Eastern European politics and history, someone who can speak English, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, French, Spanish and Italian, Freeland will likely be seen as a major asset as the alliance tries to hold on in the face of a major regional war. Her knowledge of Russia and the inner workings of the Kremlin would be another major asset. But to secure her nomination, both her prime minister Justin Trudeau would have to work the international diplomatic circuit — likely behind the scenes — and spend political capital. “The informal process is probably the most important,” said Skalumba, who spent 15 years at the Pentagon and as a liaison to NATO. The lobbying and arm-twisting is happening in the major NATO capitals – Washington, London, Paris and Berlin. Until an official vote takes place, Skaluba said, “there’s not going to be any drama.”
