Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, announced his resignation on Monday, July 10, 2023, saying that he will leave politics after an early general election.

His decision spells the end of nearly 13 years in power for the conservative leader. He is the Netherlands’ longest serving Prime Minister. He became the Prime Minister in 2010.

In the 27-nation European Union, Rutte, 56, is the longest serving government leader after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. This mean only Orban has been in charge of a country longer than Rutte.

“Yesterday morning I made a decision that I will not be available again as a leader of the VVD. When a new Cabinet takes office after the elections, I will leave politics.”
Mark Rutte

Rutte, the leader of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, announced his decision at a hastily arranged parliamentary debate to discuss the fall of his latest governing coalition.

Rutte called resignation a “personal decision, regardless of the developments in recent weeks.”

Rutte’s four-party ruling coalition resigned on Friday, July 7, 2023 after failing to agree on a package of measures to curb migration, an issue that often has divided the EU as a whole. Rutte said that it was a unanimous decision prompted by “irreconcilable differences” among the partner parties.

Rutte’s coalition government, the fourth he has led, took office in January 2022

There was no immediate indication of the person who might replace Rutte as leader of the VVD. The party’s parliamentary faction is led by Sophie Hermans, Rutte’s former political assistant.

No date has yet been set for the election, but it is not expected before October or November. Rutte and his government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity, but will not pass major new laws until a new ruling coalition is chosen. He is expected to attend a NATO summit that starts on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 in Lithuania.

The End Of An Era

Supporters and opponents alike called Rutte’s resignation the end of an era.

Rutte governed the Netherlands through crises ranging from the coronavirus pandemic and flooding to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014.

Even his political opponents praised his handling of the aftermath of the plane’s downing by pro-Russia rebels. About 200 Dutch citizens died.

He also became known for seeking forgiveness for past Dutch government policies.

Despite the many scandals that tarnished his governments, Rutte remained popular among voters. His decision to step down throws the election wide open and could open the door for a shift to the political left or further to the right.

Jesse Klaver, leader of the opposition Green Left party, averred that Rutte’s stated exit from politics marked a “historic day” but that “his departure was unavoidable” as the Prime Minister’s fourth and final coalition crumbled in acrimony.

Caroline van der Plas, leader of the Farmer Citizen Movement, a populist party that was the shock winner of provincial elections this year, was not ready on Monday to declare herself a candidate to replace Rutte.

“At some point in the campaign, I will make it clear whether or not I will be running for Prime Minister,” she said.