Opinion | Is a No-Nonsense Dutchman Just What NATO Needs?

Joseph Luns, who served as secretary general of NATO from 1971 to 1984, was not a typical diplomat.When he took charge of the military alliance after nearly 20 years as the foreign minister of the Netherlands, Mr.

Luns surprised his new colleagues by leaving the office at 1 p.m.on Fridays and reportedly wearing bright red slippers at important summits because they were “more comfortable than shoes.” Asked once how many people worked at NATO, Mr.

Luns is said to have replied: “About 50 percent.”Mr.Luns was known for being ebullient but prickly, with little patience for anyone whose support of the alliance was anything less than fulsome.

This blend of authority and joviality served him well, helping NATO navigate the storm of protest around the Vietnam War, Ronald Reagan’s standoffs with the Soviet Union and the diplomatic fallout of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.Despite his unconventional ways, Mr.

Luns was the longest serving secretary general NATO has ever had, racking up about 13 years in the role.On Tuesday, another straight-talking, long-serving Dutch statesman will take the helm at NATO.Like Mr.

Luns, Mark Rutte will take office after a long apprenticeship on the international stage: He recently ended an extraordinary 14-year run as prime minister of the Netherlands.Mr.

Rutte takes office at a turbulent time, with NATO allies fighting a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, the Middle East in turmoil and the alliance wracked by difficult questions about how it should expand in the future.A rising tide of far-right populism in countries including France, Germany and the Netherlands itself also threatens to upend decades of solidarity between allies.

This would be an intimidating to-do list for any new secretary general, but also may mean that it’s the perfect moment for NATO — for the fourth time — to again be led by a plain-spoken Dutchman.In some countries, the job of a president or prime minister is a visionary one, requiring bold l...