Dutch PM Mark Rutte steps down after over a decade in power.
The Dutch Prime Minister Resigns, Ending an Era
The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, made a significant announcement on Saturday, bringing an end to his tenure as one of the country’s longest-serving political leaders in decades.
In January 2022, Rutte formed his fourth and most recent government after months of intense negotiations among four political parties. The focus of these negotiations was centered around the contentious issue of immigration.
“It’s no secret that the coalition parties think very differently about asylum policy and today we unfortunately need to draw the conclusion that the differences are unbridgeable,” Rutte explained during a press conference on Friday night. “The fall of a government is never good. But it is sometimes impossible in a coalition country like the Netherlands to come to one agreement.”
The Netherlands is expecting approximately 45,000 immigrants to enter the country in 2024, a number similar to the previous year. Rutte had been striving to negotiate stricter policies regarding refugees from war-torn countries.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander even cut short his vacation in Greece to be present for Rutte’s resignation.
“The Netherlands is waiting for solutions and not for postponement,” Rutte emphasized on Saturday.
Rutte was initially elected as prime minister in October 2010, and his longest coalition government lasted for five years. However, his most recent government lasted only 18 months.
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