Politics

Mark Rutte to retire as Dutch PM after 13 years

The Hague, Jul 10 (EFE).- Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced his withdrawal from politics Monday after the collapse of his fourth government due to differences over asylum policy, and said he was leaving the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

“Yesterday morning I made a decision that I will not be available again as a leader of the (party.) When a new cabinet takes office after the elections, I will leave politics,” Rutte said.

The liberal politician, who led four governments since 2010 – three of which had to disband before the end of the legislature – announced his withdrawal in a parliamentary speech prior to a debate on the fall of the center-right coalition that has governed the Netherlands since January 2022.

In statements to the press after his speech, Rutte said “it is a good time to pass the baton” and added that he made this decision “with mixed feelings, with many emotions,” but admitted that it “feels good” to have done so.

He said the party leadership did not demand that he withdraw. He has been the leader of the Liberals for 17 years.

He didn’t comment on his immediate future but ruled out a candidacy for the NATO general secretary or another high-level position in the European Union, and said he would continue to teach at a school in The Hague until his future is determined.

Rutte will remain acting prime minister until a new government is formed after the next elections – for which there is no date yet – and said King Willem-Alexander asked him to continue overseeing matters until then such as aid to Ukraine and other national issues.

Rutte’s political career comes to a surprising end, having always said it was not yet time to leave government and even saying in media interviews that he did not rule out running for his fifth consecutive election.

Rutte pointed to the MH17 tragedy, the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines plane in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, as “the most important moment” of his political life, “that was huge,” he said. The Malaysian flight had departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for Kuala Lumpur and most of the 298 passengers were Dutch.

The Dutch executive collapsed Friday, after the center-right coalition failed to agree on asylum policy, especially with a measure put on the table by Rutte himself to set strict limits on the reunification of immediate family members of the refugees.EFE

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