Mark Rutte: Longest Serving Dutch PM Resigns Amid Migration Row

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, on Friday, submitted his resignation after his coalition government collapsed over “insurmountable” differences. 

Mr Rutte, the leader of the centre-right VVD party, will meet King Willem-Alexander today. 

In a press conference, he said, “It is no secret that the coalition partners have very different views on migration policy.” 

“This evening, we have unfortunately reached the conclusion that the differences are insurmountable. For this reason, I will shortly present my written resignation to the king in the name of the whole government,” he added.

It was Mr Rutte’s fourth coalition since he took office in 2010. 

With elections expected to take place in November, let  us take a look at the five points about Mr Rutte:

1.  Mark Rutte, last year in August, became the longest-serving Prime Minister in Dutch history.  Since he was elected in 2010, Mr Rutte served the office for 13 years. 

2. Mark Rutte is fondly known as “Teflon Mark,” as scandals didn’t stick to him. He was given the title because even after the unrest gripped the nation and his party’s popularity dwindled in polls, he showed no signs of slowing down. 

3. Mark Rutte, after completing his graduation in 1992, worked as a human resources manager at  Unilever. A few years later, he became personnel manager at Van den Bergh Nederland (Calve), part of Unilever. 

4.Mark Rutte became the state secretary for social affairs and employment for the Balkenende governments between July 2002 to June 2004. 

5. Mark Rutte was then appointed as the leader of the VVD parliamentary party from June 2006 to October 2010. He also served as the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science in 2006.