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. Mark Rutte teruggekeerd in Tweede Kamer  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.

References

 Other websites 
 Bio at Parlement.com
 Bio at Government.nl 

Category:1967 births
Category:Living people
Category:Deputy government ministers of the Netherlands
Category:Dutch Calvinists
Category:Dutch teachers
Category:Leaders of political parties in the Netherlands
Category:Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands
Category:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy politicians
Category:Politicians from The Hague
Category:Prime ministers of the Netherlands
Category:Secretaries General of NATO