Mark Rutte

**Mark Rutte** (born 14 February 1967) is a Dutch politician who has been the 14th Secretary General of NATO since 2024. He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024. He was leader of the conservative liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 2006 to 2023. In July 2023, Rutte and his government announced their resignations.

## Political career

In 2010, Rutte won the elections with his party. He did not gain a majority in parliament, he won 31 out of 150 seats. Before he could form his government, there were four weeks of negotiations with the Christian-democratic CDA and the right-wing PVV of Geert Wilders. Wilders was not in the government, but he was supporting the government on several issues. These issues were discussed in those four weeks. When he was sworn in on 14 October 2010, he became the first liberal Prime Minister in the Netherlands since 1918.

The First Rutte cabinet, consisting of VVD, CDA, and PVV, lasted from 2010 to 2012. The Second Rutte cabinet, consisting of VVD and PvdA, lasted from 2012 to 2017. The Third Rutte cabinet, consisting of VVD, D66, CDA, and CU, lasted from 2017 to 2022.

On 15 January 2021, Rutte announced his resignation and that of his government because of a child welfare scandal.

Rutte has been leading the Fourth Rutte cabinet, consisting of VVD, D66, CDA, and CU, since 10 January 2022.

On 7 July 2023, Rutte announced his government's resignation after his coalition failed to agree on how to handle increasing migration. His government will take on a caretaker role until the next general election. Rutte said that he will be leaving domestic politics all together.

Rutte announced his candidacy to replace Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General of NATO in October 2023, and his bid received public support from the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France in February 2024. With his only opponent, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, dropping out in June 2024 Rutte secured the position of Secretary General. He was sworn-in on 1 October 2024.

## Personal life

Rutte is single and lives in The Hague. He frequently uses his bike for government duties at the Binnenhof and the Catshuis. He is also a part-time teacher at a high school in The Hague.

## Other websites

- Bio at Parlement.com
- Bio at Government.nl

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Mark Rutte
- **image**: 2025 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in 2025 (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Rutte in 2025
- **office**: 14th Secretary General of NATO
- **term start**: 1 October 2024
- **deputy**: Radmila Šekerinska
- **predecessor**: Jens Stoltenberg
- **office1**: Prime Minister of the Netherlands
- **term start1**: 14 October 2010
- **term end1**: 2 July 2024
- **predecessor1**: Jan Peter Balkenende
- **successor1**: Dick Schoof
- **office2**: Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
- **term start2**: 31 May 2006
- **term end2**: 14 August 2023
- **predecessor2**: Jozias van Aartsen
- **successor2**: Dilan Yeşilgöz
- **office3**: State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science
- **primeminister3**: Jan Peter Balkenende
- **term start3**: 17 June 2004
- **term end3**: 27 June 2006
- **predecessor3**: Annette Nijs
- **successor3**: Bruno Bruins
- **office4**: State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment
- **primeminister4**: Jan Peter Balkenende
- **term start4**: 22 July 2002
- **term end4**: 17 June 2004
- **predecessor4**: Hans Hoogervorst
- **successor4**: Henk van Hoof
- **office5**: Member of the House of Representatives (Netherlands), House of Representatives
- **term start5**: 31 March 2021
- **term end5**: 10 January 2022
- **term start6**: 23 March 2017
- **term end6**: 26 October 2017
- **term start7**: 20 September 2012
- **term end7**: 5 November 2012
- **term start8**: 28 June 2006
- **term end8**: 14 October 2010
- **term start9**: 30 January 2003
- **term end9**: 27 May 2003
- **birth place**: The Hague, Netherlands
- **party**: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
- **education**: Leiden University (Bachelor of Arts, BA, Master of Arts, MA)
- **signature**: Accession Treaty 2011 Mark Rutte signature.svg