# Third Rutte cabinet

* This article is part of a series aboutMark Rutte
Political career
Prime Minister (2010–2024)
Party Leader of the VVD (2006–2023)
2006 party leadership election
Secretary for Education, Culture and Science (2004–2006)
Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment (2002–2004)
Member of the House of Representatives
2006 general election
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
International trips
First Ministry and term
2010 general election
2010 cabinet formation
Rutte I
Second Ministry and term
2012 general election
Rutte II
Association Agreement referendum
Third Ministry and term
2017 general election
2017 Dutch–Turkish diplomatic incident
2017 cabinet formation
Rutte III
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Intelligence and Security Services referendum
COVID-19 pandemic
Frugal Four
Fourth Ministry and term
2021 general election
2021–2022 cabinet formation
Rutte IV
Dutch childcare benefits scandal
Nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands
Affiliations
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy
Media gallery :
vte :
The third Rutte cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 26 October 2017 until 10 January 2022 (since 15 January 2021 demissionary). It was formed by a coalition government of the political parties People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Democrats 66 (D66) and Christian Union (CU) after the general election of 2017.
The cabinet served during the late 2010s and the start of the 2020s. Notable issues during the third Rutte cabinet included the childcare allowance affair (Dutch: toeslagenaffaire), the farmers' protests and the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. The cabinet fell on 15 January 2021 as a response to a critical report about the childcare allowance affair.

## Formation

The 2017 general election resulted in a House of Representatives where at least four parties would be required to form a coalition with a majority (76 seats). Media sources speculated that incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the VVD would seek to form a government with the support of the centre-right CDA and liberal D66. The CU was thought to be the most likely candidate to be the fourth member of the coalition. Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, Edith Schippers, was selected by the VVD to serve as the party's informateur on 16 March and appointed by Speaker of the House Khadija Arib, seeking to determine whether Jesse Klaver of GroenLinks (GL) solely desired a left-wing government, or instead simply viewed the VVD as an unlikely coalition partner. Similarly, talks with Emile Roemer of the Socialist Party (SP), who repeatedly stated during the campaign that his party would not govern with the VVD, remained a possibility.
The leaders of D66, the CDA, the PvdA, the VVD, the SP, GL and the CU stated that they would not enter a coalition with the PVV; Roemer also said that the SP would not join a coalition with the VVD.
The first proposed coalition was one involving the VVD-CDA-D66 and GL. This was the preferred coalition of Alexander Pechtold, Lodewijk Asscher and Gert-Jan Segers, while Jesse Klaver continued to argue that the major policy differences between GL and the VVD would make a coalition difficult. Nevertheless, the four parties began more serious negotiations toward a coalition agreement. The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) reported that "labour market reform, investment in law enforcement and additional money for nursing homes" would be areas of agreement between the parties, while "refugee policy, income distribution, climate and medical ethics issues are potential stumbling blocks".
On 15 May, talks on the proposed four-way VVD-CDA-D66-GL coalition failed. It was reported that the main dispute concerned immigration, but GL Leader Jesse Klaver cited climate issues and income differences as other issues where the parties disagreed. The end of the talks was reported to be a consensus decision, with no party blaming any others.
Coalition talks were reported to be at an impasse, with the VVD and CDA favouring a coalition with the CU, D66 favouring a coalition with either the PvdA or the SP, the SP being absolutely opposed to a coalition with the VVD, the CDA being opposed to a coalition without the VVD, the PvdA rejecting any coalition, and all parties with more than five seats rejecting a coalition with the PVV. D66 said that it would consider a coalition with the CU very difficult due to disagreements on medical-ethical issues such as doctor-assisted suicide, due to the lack of representation of the political left within that coalition, and due to the small majority of one seat in both chambers, which could make for an unstable coalition.
In late June 2017, discussions began again between the VVD, D66, the CDA and the CU under the lead of new informateur Herman Tjeenk Willink. After a three-week summer break, talks resumed on 9 August 2017, and were reported to be close to a conclusion due to representatives of unions and employers' organizations joining the discussions, which typically happens near the end of such negotiations. In September 2017, a budget deal compromise was reached allowing the coalition talks to continue. While still 'close to conclusion', it appeared likely that the talks about government formation would exceed the record since World War II of 208 days set in 1977. After 208 days of negotiations, the VVD, D66, CDA and CU agreed to a coalition under a third informateur, Gerrit Zalm, and all members of the House of Representatives of the involved parties approved the agreement on 9 October 2017. On 26 October the new cabinet was formally installed, 225 days after the elections, setting a record for the longest cabinet formation in Dutch history.
On 7 October 2019, the government lost its majority when Wybren van Haga, after being expelled from Rutte's VVD party for allegedly renovating a building he owned without the necessary permits, decided to sit as an Independent. Had he resigned, another member on the VVD electoral party list would have replaced him, maintaining Rutte's parliamentary majority of one. According to Politico EU, Van Haga wrote he would vote with the government on established coalition policy, but would make his own decisions on future laws.

## Policy
### Government

The Third Rutte cabinet repealed the Referendum Act passed in 2015, although that proposal was written in none of the coalition parties' election platforms. It stated the law had not delivered what was expected; results from the 2016 Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement referendum and 2018 Intelligence and Security Services Act referendum have been going against government proposals. The cabinet also deconstitutionalised the method of appointment of mayors and King's commissioners, thus allowing the method to be changed by law.

### Finance

The cabinet plans to simplify income tax, reducing the number of tax brackets to two. Income below 68,600 would be taxed at 36.9% and income from 68,600 onward at 49.5%. There are also plans to increase the lower VAT rate from 6 to 9%. A plan to abolish dividend tax proved so controversial that it was discarded in October 2018. Instead, the cabinet will now lower corporation tax more than was initially planned; the higher rate will be lowered from 25 to 20.5%, and the lower rate from 20 to 15%.

### Justice

In judicial matters, the cabinet intends to end the automatic conditional release of prisoners after two-thirds of their sentence and to shorten asylum permits from five to three years, after which refugees can request an extension of another two years.

### Labour

The cabinet intends to reform the labour market and pension system. Laws around the termination of employment will be relaxed, while paid sick leave will be shortened. The cabinet initially planned to allow employers to pay handicapped people below the minimum wage, which would then be supplemented by local government. However, this proposal was later retracted.

### Environment

The cabinet pledged to ban the sale of non-emission-free cars by 2030. There are also plans to introduce a flight tax by 2021. In March 2018, the cabinet also pledged to end gas extraction from the Groningen gas field within twelve years.

## Composition

Ministers in the third Rutte cabinet :
| Title | Minister | Minister | Minister | Term of office | Term of office | Party |
| Title | Minister | Minister | Minister | Start | End | Party |
| Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs | | | Mark Rutte | 14 October 2010 | Incumbent | VVD |
| First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport | | | Hugo de Jonge | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | CDA |
| Second Deputy Prime Minister | | | Kajsa Ollongren | 26 October 2017 | 1 November 2019 | D66 |
| Second Deputy Prime Minister | | | Wouter Koolmees (acting) | 1 November 2019 | 14 May 2020 | D66 |
| Second Deputy Prime Minister | | | Kajsa Ollongren | 14 May 2020 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
| Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality | | | Carola Schouten | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | CU |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | | | Halbe Zijlstra | 26 October 2017 | 13 February 2018 | VVD |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | | | Sigrid Kaag (ad interim) | 13 February 2018 | 7 March 2018 | D66 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | | | Stef Blok | 7 March 2018 | 25 May 2021 | VVD |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | | | Sigrid Kaag | 25 May 2021 | 17 September 2021 | D66 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | | | Tom de Bruijn (ad interim) | 17 September 2021 | 24 September 2021 | D66 |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | | | Ben Knapen | 24 September 2021 | 10 January 2022 | CDA |
| Minister of Justice and Security | | | Ferd Grapperhaus | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | CDA |
| Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations | | | Kajsa Ollongren | 26 October 2017 | 1 November 2019 | D66 |
| Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations | | | Raymond Knops (acting) | 1 November 2019 | 14 April 2020 | CDA |
| Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations | | | Kajsa Ollongren | 14 April 2020 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Science | | | Ingrid van Engelshoven | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
| Minister of Finance | | | Wopke Hoekstra | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | CDA |
| Minister of Defence | | | Ank Bijleveld | 26 October 2017 | 17 September 2021 | CDA |
| Minister of Defence | | | Ferd Grapperhaus (ad interim) | 17 September 2021 | 24 September 2021 | CDA |
| Minister of Defence | | | Henk Kamp | 24 September 2021 | 10 January 2022 | VVD |
| Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management | | | Cora van Nieuwenhuizen | 26 October 2017 | 31 August 2021 | VVD |
| Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management | | | Barbara Visser | 31 August 2021 | 10 January 2022 | VVD |
| Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy | | | Eric Wiebes | 26 October 2017 | 15 January 2021 | VVD |
| Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy | | | Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (ad interim) | 15 January 2021 | 20 January 2021 | VVD |
| Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy | | | Bas van 't Wout | 20 January 2021 | 25 May 2021 | VVD |
| Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy | | | Stef Blok | 25 May 2021 | 10 January 2022 | VVD |
| Minister of Social Affairs and Employment | | | Wouter Koolmees | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
Ministers without portfolio in the third Rutte cabinet :
| Ministry | Title | Minister | Minister | Minister | Term of office | Term of office | Party |
| Ministry | Title | Minister | Minister | Minister | Start | End | Party |
| Foreign Affairs | Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation | | | Sigrid Kaag | 26 October 2017 | 10 August 2021 | D66 |
| Foreign Affairs | Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation | | | Tom de Bruijn | 10 August 2021 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
| Justice and Security | Minister for Legal Protection | | | Sander Dekker | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | VVD |
| Education, Culture and Science | Minister for Primary and Secondary Education and Media | | | Arie Slob | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | CU |
| Health, Welfare and Sport | Minister for Medical Care and Sport | | | Bruno Bruins | 26 October 2017 | 19 March 2020 | VVD |
| Health, Welfare and Sport | Minister for Medical Care and Sport | | | Martin van Rijn (ad interim) | 23 March 2020 | 9 July 2020 | Ind. |
| Health, Welfare and Sport | Minister for Medical Care and Sport | | | Tamara van Ark | 9 July 2020 | 3 September 2021 | VVD |
| Interior and Kingdom Relations | Minister for the General Intelligence and Security Service | | | Ank Bijleveld (acting) | 1 November 2019 | 14 April 2020 | CDA |
| Interior and Kingdom Relations | Minister for the Environment and Housing | | | Stientje van Veldhoven (acting) | 1 November 2019 | 14 April 2020 | D66 |
State secretaries in the third Rutte cabinet :
| Title | Portfolio | State secretary | State secretary | State secretary | Term of office | Term of office | Party |
| Title | Portfolio | State secretary | State secretary | State secretary | Start | End | Party |
| State Secretary for Justice and Security | IntegrationImmigrationAsylum AffairsMinority Affairs | | | Mark Harbers | 26 October 2017 | 21 May 2019 | VVD |
| State Secretary for Justice and Security | IntegrationImmigrationAsylum AffairsMinority Affairs | | | Ankie Broekers-Knol | 11 July 2019 | 10 January 2022 | VVD |
| State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations | Privatisation PolicyGovernment Real EstateKingdom Relations | | | Raymond Knops | 26 October 2017 | 1 November 2019 | CDA |
| State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations | Privatisation PolicyGovernment Real EstateKingdom Relations | | | Raymond Knops | 14 April 2020 | 10 January 2022 | CDA |
| State Secretary for Finance | Fiscal AffairsTax AdministrationNational MintGambling Policy | | | Menno Snel | 26 October 2017 | 18 December 2019 | D66 |
| State Secretary for Finance | Fiscal AffairsTax AdministrationNational MintGambling Policy | | | Hans Vijlbrief | 29 January 2020 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
| State Secretary for Finance | BenefitsCustoms Administration | | | Alexandra van Huffelen | 29 January 2020 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
| State Secretary for Defence | Personnel AffairsEquipment PolicySpecial Ops Policy | | | Barbara Visser | 26 October 2017 | 31 August 2021 | VVD |
| State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management | Environmental PolicyPublic TransportRail InfrastructureMeteorological Institute | | | Stientje van Veldhoven | 26 October 2017 | 1 November 2019 | D66 |
| State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management | Environmental PolicyPublic TransportRail InfrastructureMeteorological Institute | | | Stientje van Veldhoven | 14 April 2020 | 19 July 2021 | D66 |
| State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management | Environmental PolicyPublic TransportRail InfrastructureMeteorological Institute | | | Steven van Weyenberg | 10 August 2021 | 10 January 2022 | D66 |
| State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy | Small Business PolicyRegional DevelopmentDigital InfrastructureTourism Affairs | | | Mona Keijzer | 26 October 2017 | 25 September 2021 | CDA |
| State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy | Climate PolicyEnergy Policy | | | Dilan Yeşilgöz | 25 May 2021 | 10 January 2022 | VVD |
| State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment | Social SecurityYouth PolicyPoverty AlleviationUnemployment AffairsEqualityEmancipation | | | Tamara van Ark | 26 October 2017 | 9 July 2020 | VVD |
| State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment | Social SecurityYouth PolicyPoverty AlleviationUnemployment AffairsEqualityEmancipation | | | Bas van 't Wout | 9 July 2020 | 20 January 2021 | VVD |
| State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment | Social SecurityYouth PolicyPoverty AlleviationUnemployment AffairsEqualityEmancipation | | | Dennis Wiersma | 10 August 2021 | 10 January 2022 | VVD |
| State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport | Elderly PolicyDisability AffairsVeteran Affairs | | | Paul Blokhuis | 26 October 2017 | 10 January 2022 | CU |
* ↑ Retained this position from the previous cabinet.
* 1 2 Kajsa Ollongren took an extended medical leave of absence on 1 November 2019.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Resigned from this position.
* ↑ Stef Blok was appointed Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
* ↑ Sigrid Kaag was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on 25 May 2021, and was replaced as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation by Tom de Bruijn on 10 August 2021.
* ↑ Martin van Rijn is a member of the Labour Party, but joined the cabinet independently as Minister for Medical Care (ad interim).
* 1 2 Served in an acting capacity due to the medical leave of absence of Kajsa Ollongren.
* ↑ Allowed to use the title "Minister for Migration" while on foreign business.
* ↑ Raymond Knops was appointed Minister for the Interior and Kingdom Relations (acting).
* ↑ Barbara Visser was appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.
* ↑ Stientje van Veldhoven was appointed Minister for the Environment and Housing (acting).
* ↑ Mona Keijzer was dismissed as State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy on 25 September 2021.
* ↑ Tamara van Ark was appointed Minister for Medical Care.
* ↑ Bas van 't Wout was appointed Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.