CNN —Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Monday he would step down as leader of the country’s ruling party and leave politics, after his government collapsed over immigration policy, Dutch national broadcaster and CNN affiliate NOS reported.
The inveterate survivor of Dutch politics, nicknamed “Teflon Mark” because scandals surrounding his four consecutive governments did not stick to him, announced his surprise decision at a parliamentary debate in the Hague.
The more hardline approach to immigration policy came after the numbers of those seeking asylum in the Netherlands soared in recent years.
The Netherlands received 36,620 applications for asylum in 2021 and 47,991 last year, with most applicants coming from Syria, according to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service.
I respect that.”Lilian Marijnissen, leader of the Dutch Socialist Party also said that it was a “wise decision” for Rutte to leave, and it was “Good for the Netherlands.”“Now is the time for honest politics,” Marijnissen said on Twitter.
Persons:
Mark Rutte, “, ” Rutte, Jesse Klaver, ” Lilian Marijnissen, Rutte, ”, ” Marijnissen
Organizations:
CNN, Dutch, NOS, Immigration, Naturalization Service, Christian Union, D66, Dutch Socialist Party, Twitter
Locations:
Dutch, Hague, Netherlands, Syria