Longest-serving Dutch PM Mark Rutte quits politics after 13 years

The second longest-serving leader in the European Union, the 56-year-old Mr. Rutte said that he had “mixed feelings” about bowing out but that it “feels good to pass the baton”.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Monday he was quitting politics after nearly 13 years in power, in a shock end to his time as the longest-serving leader in the history of the Netherlands.

Nicknamed "Teflon Mark" for surviving scandals that hit his four governments, the centre-right leader said he would stand down after elections sparked by the collapse of his latest coalition over a row about migration.

The second longest-serving leader in the European Union, the 56-year-old Mr. Rutte said that he had "mixed feelings" about bowing out but that it "feels good to pass the baton".

The bike-riding, frugal-living premier has steered the Netherlands through more than a decade of economic upheaval and the COVID-19 pandemic, relying on a "Mr Normal" image to appeal to voters.

He had been widely expected to seek a fifth term in elections due some time after mid-November, but made the surprise announcement during a debate on Friday's fall of the coalition.

"I would like to say something personal. There has been speculation over the past few days about what motivates me. The only answer is the Netherlands," Mr. Rutte told stunned lawmakers.

"Yesterday morning, I took the decision that I am no longer suitable to be the new leader of the VVD (his party). When the new government is sworn in after the elections, I will quit politics."