21.   The resignation of Willy Claes, leaves the NATO without a chief executive who only last year seemed to own all the qualities the alliance needs most.

22.   The resignation of Willy Claes leaves NATO without a chief executive who had seemed to display mediation qualities the alliance needs most.

23.   He said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization also remained essential, but said the western military alliance needed to be reformed.

24.   But brokers also said market enthusiasm might wane if it turned out that the centre-left alliance needs communist support to form a government.

25.   NATO Secretary General George Robertson recently said the alliance needs to grow not only in size but in mission and spending.

26.   Ruehe also argued that the alliance needed to be opened to the East to guarantee stability in central Europe.