About: Mark Rutte
Dutch government sworn in with focus on climate
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's fourth successive coalition government will be sworn in Monday a record 10 months after elections, with pledges to spend big on climate change and coronavirus.
UK says COVID surge ‘extremely difficult’ as Omicron grips Europe
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday (20 December) he would tighten coronavirus curbs to slow the spread of the Omicron variant if needed, after the Netherlands began a fourth lockdown and as other European nations consider Christmas restrictions.
New Dutch government under Mark Rutte wants to spend more
The coalition agreement of the new Dutch government under Prime Minister Mark Rutte foresees more spending on childcare, teacher salaries, and environmental issues, showing the increased influence of the centre-left, liberal party D66.
Dutch consider new partial lockdown as coronavirus cases hit record
The Dutch government on Thursday (11 November) was considering whether to impose Western Europe's first partial lockdown since the summer, as new coronavirus cases jumped to the highest level since the start of the pandemic.
Analysis: In post-Merkel EU, Macron can’t exert leadership without allies
Angela Merkel's exit from the EU stage she dominated for 16 years has handed French President Emmanuel Macron an opportunity to take up the mantle of European leadership and press on with his plans for a more independent Europe.
Dutch crime reporter De Vries dies after being shot in street
Celebrity Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries has died after being shot in a busy Amsterdam street, his family and his employer RTL Netherlands said, prompting an outpouring of grief and anger at home and abroad.
Liberal leader Hans van Baalen dies aged 60
Hans van Baalen, ALDE Party President, passed away in the late hours of 29 April at the age of 60 after a short illness, his party central announced on Friday (30 April).
Tweets of the Week: Vaccine Worries, Dutch Elections, St. Patrick’s Day
Problems with vaccines just won’t go away, D66 is here to slay and it was tricky to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Pro-Europe Dutch politician Kaag books gains in election
Former diplomat Sigrid Kaag, who heads the largest left-leaning party in the Netherlands, booked major gains at a national election after campaigning on a cosmopolitan pro-Europe platform that stands in contrast with Prime Minister Mark Rutte's euroscepticism.
Five things to know about virus-dominated Dutch vote
Dutch voters go to the polls on Wednesday (17 March) for the last day of a three-day parliamentary election, in which Prime Minister Mark Rutte is aiming for a fourth term in office.
Bike-riding Dutch PM pedals towards new term
Regularly seen riding his bike to work, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is hoping voters add to his 10 years in the saddle next week.
Dutch parliament: China’s treatment of Uighurs is genocide
The Dutch parliament on Thursday (25 February) passed a non-binding motion saying the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in China amounts to genocide, the first such move by a European country.
Dutch coronavirus curfew upheld temporarily after legal setback
Appellate judges ruled on Tuesday (16 February) that a night-time curfew would remain in place in the Netherlands pending a government appeal of a lower-court ruling that found the measure lacked legal justification.
Global pandemic: Second night of Netherlands violence, Biden touts herd immunity
The Netherlands has been hit by a second night of riots, as coronavirus curfew frustrations boiled over, even as President Joe Biden said herd immunity could be achieved this year.
Dutch caught off guard by Pfizer approval, PM explains delay in vaccination
The Dutch government was caught off guard by the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by EU regulators in December and has been unable to start vaccinating due to logistical problems, Prime Minister Mark Rutte told parliament on Tuesday (5 January).
Budget Summit: How it happened
EU leaders are under pressure to reach a deal on the next Multiannual Financial Framework and the Recovery Fund as they are heading into their fourth day of negotiations.
Dutch ‘preachers and salesmen’ lead EU frugality drive
The Netherlands will be at the centre of upcoming talks over European spending on the coronavirus crisis, driven by a mix of traditional Calvinist frugality and political reality, experts say.
Macron says EU virus package ‘advancing’, in talks with Dutch PM
French President Emmanuel Macron said talks on a EU coronavirus recovery fund were "advancing" Tuesday (23 June) as he met Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a key holdout against the plan.
Macron to discuss EU rescue plan with ‘frugal’ Dutch
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the Netherlands Tuesday (23 June) for talks with Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a massive EU coronavirus recovery fund that has met with Dutch resistance.
Taming the ‘Frugal Four’: the challenge facing the German Presidency
The European Commission has presented its proposal for a recovery fund as part of the draft EU budget. Now the member states must be convinced, a task that will fall on Berlin when Germany takes over the EU Council Presidency in July, EURACTIV Germany reports.
COVID-19 lockdown: The EU leaders who didn’t lead by example
In the UK and in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe leaders have shown lack of respect for the lockdown measures – the EURACTIV network looked into how some prime ministers and presidents have conducted themselves through the pandemic so far.
Portugal’s Costa criticises Netherlands over commitment to EU
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Friday (10 April) that the Netherlands' attempt to block economic support to fight the coronavirus raised questions about the future of the European Union.
Leaders clash over stimulus against pandemic, pass hot potato to Eurogroup
EU leaders on Thursday (26 March) continued to disagree over the economic response to the coronavirus as Northern countries rejected the idea of issuing joint debt, known as "corona bonds", proposed by nine member states to finance the recovery.