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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is cutting jobs within the Alliance as part of a sweeping restructuring initiative.
This was reported by Politico, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to these sources, Rutte plans to eliminate two departments and cut dozens of positions at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“He’s basically DOGE-ing NATO,” one NATO official said, referencing U.S. billionaire Elon Musk’s radical efforts to downsize the U.S. federal government earlier this year.
The reorganization—previously unreported—comes amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump, a known NATO skeptic, could potentially withdraw the U.S. from the military alliance.
Over the past few months, Rutte has held two internal staff meetings where he announced a wave of changes, including reducing the number of NATO’s international staff divisions from eight to six.
The Division of Public Diplomacy, which acts as NATO’s press office, the Executive Management Division, and the Alliance’s Human Resources Department are among those being cut.
Their responsibilities will largely be absorbed by other departments. Notably, assistant secretary generals—heads of departments appointed with input from NATO member states—will continue performing their duties.
Among those losing their positions are Rutte’s aide for public diplomacy, Marie-Doha Besancenot, who resigned in March, and head of the Executive Management Division, Carlo Borgini.
“This is common practice when a new secretary general takes office,” a former NATO official told Politico.
However, the same former official noted that Rutte’s reform efforts are not as reckless as Musk’s attempts to “boost government efficiency.”
“This is being done by insiders who actually understand the priorities, existing structures, and processes. So it’s a much slower and more thoughtful process than DOGE,” the source added.
Speaking on behalf of the Alliance, a senior NATO official, when asked about the staff cuts, stated: “Secretary General Rutte is committed to making NATO efficient and effective,” and “has initiated a reorganization to optimize the functioning of NATO headquarters.”
“The reorganization process, which incorporates staff feedback and has been approved by allies, is ongoing,” the official added.
Meanwhile, at the upcoming NATO summit, new baseline defense spending targets are expected to be approved—3.5% of GDP directly on defense, and an additional 1.5% of GDP on defense-related areas.
Read also: NATO’s Eastern Flank Countries Preparing Hospitals for War – Politico
