Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Monday announced that he would leave politics after the next elections, following his government’s collapse last Friday.
Rutte told the Dutch parliament in a short statement that he would be quitting politics when the current caretaker period ends.
“On Sunday I decided that I will not be available as leader of the VVD party in the upcoming elections,” Rutte was quoted saying by the Dutch media today.
Rutte’s unexpected statement came at the start of a debate on Monday morning on the collapse of his cabinet last week, after the four parties in the coalition government were unable to agree on migration, Dutch news.nl website reported.
The VVD, led by Rutte, had demanded strict new curbs on asylum applications but coalition partners D66 and the ChristenUnie said the proposal went too far.
Rutte, who has been leading the Netherlands since 2010, is the longest-serving prime minister in the European country’s history.
Source: Kuwait News Agency