Rutte is the second longest-serving prime minister in the European Union after Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. He is also the longest serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
Long-time Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte announced on Monday that he plans to leave politics after the next election. The news agency Reuters and the US online media report on the matter, for example Politico.
The coalition government led by Rutte collapsed on Friday due to disagreements about immigration. It was the fourth government led by Rutte.
Rutte, who started as prime minister in 2010, is the second longest-serving prime minister in the European Union. Viktor Orbán after. He is also the longest serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He has led the centre-right Freedom and Democracy People’s Party (VVD) for 17 years.
– I made the decision yesterday morning that I am no longer available to lead VVD. When a new government is formed after the elections, I will leave politics, Rutte said, according to the news agency Reuters.
Rutte told reporters that he was experiencing conflicting feelings.
– However, I have considered this, and this decision feels right, he said.
Even on Friday evening, Rutte seemed interested in continuing. However, he had reconsidered the matter over the weekend. According to Reuters, the other parties in the government coalition made it clear over the weekend that they blamed Rutte a lot for the government crisis.
Rutte will lead the Ministry of Supply until a new government is formed after the elections in November.
What in the future?
According to Rutte, he does not yet know what he plans to do after leaving politics. According to Politico, he has been linked to several top positions outside the Netherlands, for example the defense alliance in NATO and the EU. However, Rutte said on Monday that he is not interested in top international positions.
Currently, Rutte teaches social studies once a week at a local school in The Hague. “Maybe I’ll do it for a few days,” Rutte said, according to Politico.
During his reign, the 56-year-old Rutte has earned the nickname Teflon-Mark, which refers to his ability to creatively navigate through political crises.