Fall of the government in the Netherlands: Mark Rutte will leave politics
therem@euronews8.com
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is leaving politics.
He announced it in the Lower House of Parliament,
at the start of a debate on the fall of the Dutch government:
Mark Rutte will no longer draw the VVD list in the next elections, in November.
“Yesterday morning, I made the decision that I am no longer in a position to be
top of the list for the VVD again. On the occasion of the inauguration of a
new government after the elections, I will leave politics,” he told parliament.
“In recent days, people have been wondering what motivates me,”
Mr Rutte said, referring to the row within the coalition over asylum policy,
which he allegedly personally stoked.
“The only answer is: the Netherlands. My fate in this respect is quite secondary.
On Sunday, I decided not to be available as the head of the VVD list for the next elections.
“Speaking to the press afterwards, Mr. Rutte expressed his “mixed feelings”.
"It's not without emotion. But it’s also a good thing to pass the baton.”
Mark Rutte, 56, was appointed Prime Minister of the Netherlands in 2010
and last year became the longest-serving politician last summer.
In announcing the fall of his government, he said he still had
"the energy and the ideas" to continue, but his announcement is therefore a game-changer.
Once a new government is in place after elections next fall, Mr. Rutte will leave politics.
King Willem-Alexander asked him to continue to manage major issues, such as the war in Ukraine.
In consultation with the Lower House, he will determine which files will still be processed.
