After nearly 13 years in office, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) will not run in the next elections, he announced during a press conference on Monday. The Dutch government fell on Friday as the coalition parties were unable to reach an agreement on a new asylum policy.
Rutte is quitting as leader of the liberal VVD party (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) and leaving politics, he announced in a brief statement. After his cabinet fell on Friday on the divisive migration policy, Rutte said that he has the energy and ideas to continue but wants to call time on his political career.
"There has been a lot of speculation in recent days about what drives me. My only answer is the Netherlands," Rutte said. "On Sunday, I decided that I will not run as list leader for the VVD in the upcoming elections."
The decision was taken purely by Rutte himself, who retained the support of his party. But he acknowledged that the decision came with "a lot of emotions and mixed feelings." Famously private on his personal life, the long-term premier has said that he doesn't yet know what he will in the future.
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On Friday evening, months of discussion on measures to limit the influx of asylum seekers came to an impasse as Rutte's VVD and the smallest governing party ChristenUnie were diametrically opposed.
The breakdown brings an end to Rutte's tenure as the longest-serving head of government in Dutch history: he was appointed as Prime Minister in October 2010. Additionally, he led the VVD party for 17 years.
He will stay on as leader of a government in current affairs until a new government is formed. This means the current government will remain in power but is limited to making purely administrative decisions and settling urgent or routine matters. New elections will be held in mid-November.
In a short reaction on Twitter, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo bid farewell to his Dutch counterpart: "Thanks for everything, Mark. Not only the Netherlands will miss you."
