In a shock end to his time as the longest-serving leader in the history of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced that he is quitting politics after nearly 13 years in power.
The centre-right leader, who is Nicknamed “Teflon Mark” for surviving scandals that hit his four governments, said he would stand down after elections sparked by the collapse of his latest coalition over a row about migration.
The 56-year-old Rutte, who is the second longest-serving leader in the European Union, said that he had “mixed feelings” about bowing out but that it “feels good to pass the baton”.
Records have it that he has steered the Netherlands through more than a decade of economic upheaval and the COVID-19 pandemic, relying on a “Mr Normal” image to appeal to voters.
There were strong permutations that he had plans to seek a fifth term in elections due sometime after mid-November, but he made the surprise announcement during a recent debate on fall of the coalition.
He said “I would like to say something personal. There has been speculation over the past few days about what motivates me. The only answer is the Netherlands,” Mr. Rutte told stunned lawmakers.
“Yesterday morning, I took the decision that I am no longer suitable to be the new leader of the VVD (his party). When the new government is sworn in after the elections, I will quit politics.”
Local reports said the coalition government collapsed over Rutte’s plans to cut the number of family members from war zones who are allowed to reunite with asylum-seekers in the Netherlands.
Recall that Rutte had pledged to curb the number of arrivals following a scandal last year over overcrowded migration centres, in which a baby died and hundreds of refugees were forced to sleep outdoors.
However, but the ChristenUnie — a Christian Democratic party — and the centre-left Democracy 66 had strongly opposed Mr. Rutte’s plan.
Rutte told reporters after his announcement in Parliament that he had “mixed feelings.”
“This is not entirely without emotion,” he was quoted as saying by public broadcaster NOS. “But it feels good to pass the baton.”
In a swift reaction, tributes have started coming in from home and abroad, as questions began to be asked about who will replace him.
The prime minister of neighbouring EU ally Belgium, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, tweeted: “Thank you for everything Mark. Not only the Netherlands will miss you.”
Also, Rutte’s domestic rivals, including far-right leader Geert Wilders, praised him despite their differences.
“Your choices were not ours, but you made them with conviction and that deserves a lot of respect,” Mr. Wilders, the leader of the anti-Islam PVV party, said in parliament.
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