Mark Rutte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Rutte
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Rutte in 2023
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| 14th Secretary General of NATO | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2024 |
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| Deputy | Radmila Šekerinska |
| Preceded by | Jens Stoltenberg |
| Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |
| In office 14 October 2010 – 2 July 2024 |
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| Monarch | |
| Deputy |
See list
Maxime Verhagen
(2010–2012) Lodewijk Asscher
(2012–2017) Hugo de Jonge
(2017–2022) Kajsa Ollongren
(2017–2022) Wopke Hoekstra
(2022–2023) Carola Schouten
(2017–2024) Sigrid Kaag
(2022–2024) Karien van Gennip
(2023–2024) Rob Jetten
(2024) |
| Preceded by | Jan Peter Balkenende |
| Succeeded by | Dick Schoof |
| Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
| In office 31 May 2006 – 14 August 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Jozias van Aartsen |
| Succeeded by | Dilan Yeşilgöz |
| State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science | |
| In office 17 June 2004 – 27 June 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Jan Peter Balkenende |
| Preceded by | Annette Nijs |
| Succeeded by | Bruno Bruins |
| State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment | |
| In office 22 July 2002 – 17 June 2004 |
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| Prime Minister | Jan Peter Balkenende |
| Preceded by | Hans Hoogervorst |
| Succeeded by | Henk van Hoof |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 31 March 2021 – 10 January 2022 |
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| In office 23 March 2017 – 26 October 2017 |
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| In office 20 September 2012 – 5 November 2012 |
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| In office 28 June 2006 – 14 October 2010 |
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| In office 30 January 2003 – 27 May 2003 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 February 1967 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Political party | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| Education | Leiden University (BA, MA) |
| Signature |  |
Mark Rutte (born 14 February 1967) is a Dutch politician. He became the 14th Secretary General of NATO in October 2024. Before this, he was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024. He also led the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 2006 to 2023. Rutte served as prime minister for almost 14 years, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history.
Rutte first worked in business for a company called Unilever. He then entered national politics in 2002. He became the leader of the VVD party in 2006. His party won the election in 2010, and he became prime minister. He was the first self-described liberal prime minister in the Netherlands in 92 years.
His first government ended early in 2012 due to disagreements over the budget. But his party won the next election, and he became prime minister again. This time, his government was the first to complete a full four-year term since 1998. Even though his party lost some seats in the 2017 election, it was still the largest. He then formed his third government.
Rutte and his cabinet resigned in 2021 because of issues with childcare benefits. However, his party won the 2021 election, and he started his fourth term in 2022. On 7 July 2023, he announced his government's resignation because they could not agree on how to handle migration. His government continued to run the country until a new government was formed in July 2024.
People sometimes call Rutte Teflon Mark. This is because he often comes out of political difficulties with his reputation still strong. He is known for being flexible and practical. He is willing to work with different political groups to solve problems.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mark Rutte was born in The Hague, Netherlands, on 14 February 1967. He grew up in a Dutch Reformed family. He was the youngest of eight children. His father worked for a trading company.
From 1979 to 1985, Rutte attended the Maerlant Lyceum. He studied arts there. He once wanted to be a concert pianist. Instead, he chose to study history at Leiden University. He earned his master's degree in 1992. While studying, he was active in the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy. This is the youth group of the VVD party. He was its chairman from 1988 to 1991.
After university, Rutte started his career in business. He worked as a manager for Unilever and its food company, Calvé. He worked in human resources and helped with company changes. In 2002, he became a human resource manager for IgloMora Groep, another Unilever company.
Political Career Beginnings
Rutte was a member of the VVD's national board from 1993 to 1997. In 2002, he became a State Secretary (like a deputy minister) at the Social Affairs and Employment Ministry. He worked on welfare and workplace safety. He also served briefly in the House of Representatives in 2003.
In 2003, Rutte supported the US-led invasion of Iraq.
From 2004 to 2006, Rutte was State Secretary for Higher Education and Science. He worked to make the Dutch higher education system more competitive. He wanted it to be more focused on students as "consumers" of education. In June 2006, he left his government job to return to the House of Representatives. He soon became the VVD's leader in Parliament.
Becoming Party Leader
After the VVD lost in the 2006 local elections, the party needed a new leader. Mark Rutte ran against two other candidates. On 31 May 2006, he was chosen as the new leader of the VVD. He won with 51.5% of the party members' votes. Many important VVD politicians supported him. He promised to make the VVD a party for everyone, not just for a small group.
General Elections as Leader
In the 2006 general election, Rutte's campaign had a slow start. Some felt he was overshadowed by other politicians. He received fewer votes than another VVD candidate, Rita Verdonk. Later, in September 2007, Rutte removed Verdonk from the party's group in Parliament because of her repeated criticisms.
In the 2010 general election, Rutte was again the VVD's main candidate. His party won 31 seats. For the first time ever, the VVD became the largest party in the House of Representatives. It took a long time to form a new government. Finally, a center-right government was formed with the VVD, Christian Democrats (CDA), and support from the Party for Freedom (PVV).
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
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Premiership of Mark Rutte
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| 14 October 2010 – 2 July 2024 | |
| Premier | Mark Rutte |
| Cabinet |
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| Party | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| Election | 2010, 2012, 2017, 2021 |
| Appointer | Beatrix of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands |
| Seat | Torentje |
First Term as Prime Minister
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After getting enough support, Rutte was asked to form a government on 8 October 2010. He announced his new cabinet, which included Maxime Verhagen as deputy prime minister. On 14 October, Queen Beatrix officially asked Rutte to lead the government. He then presented his first cabinet to Parliament. The government was approved by just one vote. Rutte became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He was the first Liberal to hold this job since 1918. At 43, he was also the second-youngest prime minister in Dutch history.
In March 2012, Rutte's government tried to cut €16 billion from government spending. This was to meet rules from the European Union. However, the PVV party withdrew its support on 21 April. They said the budget would harm the economy. This caused the government to fall apart early. Rutte resigned on 23 April. His first government lasted 558 days, one of the shortest since World War II.
Second Term as Prime Minister
For the 2012 general election, Rutte was again the VVD's main candidate. In September, the VVD won 10 more seats. It remained the largest party in Parliament. The VVD quickly formed a government with the Labour Party. Rutte became prime minister of the Second Rutte cabinet on 5 November 2012.
In 2014, The Hague hosted a special meeting of world leaders. This happened after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down in Ukraine. Many Dutch citizens were on board.
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In April 2016, Rutte was appointed to a High-Level Panel on Water. This panel was set up by the United Nations and the World Bank Group. Its goal was to help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6, which is about clean water and sanitation. Rutte's second government completed its full four-year term. This was the first time a Dutch government had done so since 1998.
Third Term as Prime Minister
The VVD had a small lead in polls before the 2017 general election. Rutte was seen as handling a diplomatic issue with Turkey well. The VVD lost 8 seats in the election. However, it remained the largest party for the third election in a row. After long talks, Rutte formed a new government. It included the VVD, CDA, D66, and CU. He started his third cabinet on 26 October 2017. Forming this government took 225 days, the longest in Dutch history.
The government planned to remove a 15% tax on company dividends. This plan was very unpopular. It seemed that large Dutch companies had secretly asked for this change.
In July 2018, Rutte made international news. He openly disagreed with U.S. President Donald Trump during a press meeting. This was seen as "typical Dutch bluntness." In the 2019 provincial elections, Rutte's VVD party faced a challenge from a new right-wing party.
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During talks for the COVID-19 recovery fund in 2020, Rutte was a key figure. He pushed for loans instead of grants for countries needing help.
On 15 January 2021, Rutte's third cabinet resigned. This happened after a report about problems with childcare subsidies. Rutte took responsibility for the issues.
Fourth Term as Prime Minister
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After the 2021 Dutch general election, Rutte's VVD party had 34 out of 150 seats. He was expected to form a new government. After the longest government formation process in Dutch history, he formed a new coalition. It included the same parties as his previous government. He started his fourth term on 15 December 2021.
In October 2022, Rutte said that alleged war crimes during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war should be investigated.
Rutte faced an issue during his fourth term related to his old phone. It was found that he had been deleting many text messages. He said his phone memory filled up quickly. This raised concerns about keeping proper government records.
In January 2023, the U.S., Japan, and the Netherlands agreed to limit sales of certain advanced computer chip equipment to China. The Dutch government then placed restrictions on these exports. This was to protect national security.
His four-party government had different ideas about immigration policy. The VVD and CDA wanted more restrictions. D66 and CU did not. On 7 July 2023, the parties could not agree. They decided they could not continue working together. Rutte then offered his government's resignation. Three days later, Rutte announced he would leave politics after the next government was formed.
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As outgoing prime minister, Rutte condemned the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. He supported Israel's right to self-defense. He visited Israel to show support. He did not call for a full ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war. Instead, he supported "humanitarian pauses" to help civilians. In February 2024, a court in the Netherlands ordered the government to stop exporting parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel.
In February 2024, Rutte visited Saudi Arabia to discuss cooperation. He also went to Paris for a meeting about the situation in Ukraine. He announced that the Netherlands would provide €250 million to help Ukraine buy artillery ammunition. He also signed a security agreement with Ukraine.
Later that month, Rutte warned Israel about a large invasion of Rafah. He said it would have "political consequences." He also met with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Rutte discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and asked China to use its influence on Russia. He said Russia's success in Ukraine would threaten all of Europe.
On 14 April 2024, Rutte condemned the Iranian strikes against Israel. He called for more sanctions against Iran. He said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) should be on the EU's terrorism list.
In May, Rutte's government allowed Ukraine to use Dutch-supplied F-16 fighter jets to strike targets inside Russia. Rutte attended the June 2024 Ukraine peace summit. He saw Putin's peace talks proposal as a sign of panic.
Rutte's fourth term as prime minister ended when the Schoof cabinet was sworn in on 2 July 2024. The new prime minister is Dick Schoof.
Secretary General of NATO
After leaving Dutch politics, Rutte became the Secretary General of NATO on 1 October 2024. He took over from Jens Stoltenberg. Rutte had previously said he wanted to teach high school. But he announced his interest in the NATO job in October 2023. The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France supported him. He was officially appointed on 26 June 2024.
In October 2024, Rutte stated that over 600,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded in the war with Ukraine.
As NATO's secretary-general, Rutte has asked member countries to spend more on defense. He said they need a "wartime mentality." This extra spending is important for collective defense. It is also to prevent a Russian attack after its invasion of Ukraine.
Rutte has often urged sending more weapons to Ukraine. He believes any future peace talks with Russia should be led by Ukraine from a position of strength.
Rutte has also criticized China's actions towards Taiwan. He said China is "bullying Taiwan." He also said China is trying to access important infrastructure. He believes Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are trying to weaken North America and Europe. He said they want to change the global order to secure their own power.
Personal Life
Mark Rutte is single. He is a member of the Dutch Protestant Church. While he was prime minister, he taught social studies on Thursday mornings. He taught at the Johan de Witt College, a high school in The Hague. Rutte enjoys reading books by Robert Caro. He drives a Saab 9-3 car. Before moving to Brussels for his NATO job, he lived in an apartment in The Hague for many years.
Honors and Awards
Australia: Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (2019)
France: Grand Officer of the Order of Legion of Honour (2023)
Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2022)
Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (2024)
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (2024)
Ukraine: Recipient of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st degree (2023)- People's Party for Freedom and Democracy: Honorary member (2024)
Images for kids
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Rutte with Indonesian Minister of Public Works Basuki Hadimuljono showing off their Nokia phones in 2019
See also
- List of international prime ministerial trips made by Mark Rutte
