New Netherlands government takes office, ending the Rutte era

Members of the new government of the Netherlands, led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof, have pledged their positions before King Willem-Alexander this Monday in a symbolic ceremony that concludes 14 years in power of the liberal Mark Rutte, now appointed Secretary General of NATO. Schoof, 67, takes over the leadership of a cabinet that integrates a total of four parties. In addition to the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) of Geert Wilders, winner of the November 2023 elections, it has the support of Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the New Social Contract and the peasant movement Citizens. In total, the 16 ministries from which Rutte has been excluded are absent from this Tuesday’s photograph, due to the evident suspicion that his figure generated among those who would eventually be his coalition partners. In fact, Schoof is not active in any organization and comes with a discreet CV on which his tenure as head of the intelligence services is marked. The new prime minister has taken steps towards a “safe and fair” country, as he said in his first message on social networks after taking office, where he has also made it clear that he will try to “control migration”, one of the goals of the great Wilders campaign. Rutte has also fulfilled the tradition of welcoming his successor, to whom he has given the keys to the office of the head of government and wished him good luck. In his farewell speech on Monday night, the outgoing president stressed the need to continue helping Ukraine and, in fact, among his latest actions he included a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky thanked his “friend” for his support over the past few years, stressing, however, that they will remain in touch after Rutte takes over the reins of NATO, and congratulated Schoof, with whom he hopes to maintain “active cooperation”. Congratulations from the European Union Rutte attended his last meeting of the EU heads of state and government last week. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, made public their congratulations to Schoof this Tuesday. Both have called on the social network to continue “working together” for the good of Dutch citizens and all EU citizens.