Mark Rutte (Dutch. Mark Rutte) - Dutch politician, leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (since 2006). Prime Minister of the Netherlands since October 14, 2010.
Place of Birth. Education. Born February 14, 1967 in a Protestant family in The Hague. Mark Rutte was the youngest of seven children in a Protestant family. His father's first wife died in Japanese captivity, and his father remarried his wife's sister. Three children from the first marriage, four from the second marriage. His father worked for a trading company in the Dutch East Indies, his mother was a secretary.
After graduating from high school, he wanted to enter the conservatory and become a pianist, however, he went to study history at the University of Leiden, where he received a master's degree in history in 1992.
Career. After graduation, he worked for ten years in a food company until he moved into national politics in 2002. He worked for Unilever. In 1997, he became Human Resources Manager for Van den Bergh Nederland, a subsidiary of Unilever.
Political career. He combined his studies with participation in the Youth Organization for Freedom and Democracy, the youth organization of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, and was its chairman between 1988 and 1991. From 1993 to 1997, Mark Rutte was a board member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.
During the 2002 parliamentary elections, Mark Rutte worked at the headquarters of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.
In 2002 Rutte was appointed Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Employment in the first Balkenend government. In this position, he was responsible for social security, material assistance and working conditions. After the resignation of the government, he was a member of parliament for a short time, and then was again appointed to this position in the second government of Balkenende.
Mark Rutte served as Secretary of State for Higher Education and Science, Education, Culture and Science from 17 June 2004 to 27 June 2006 in Balkenende's second cabinet. In the government, Rutte took a particular interest in making the Dutch higher education system more internationally competitive, trying to make it more marketable (improving the position of students as consumers in the education market).
When Rutte resigned as Secretary of State in June 2006, after the parliamentary elections, he returned to the second chamber of the States General and soon became the leader of the parliamentary faction of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Rutte managed the party's election campaign during the 2006 municipal elections.
In 2006, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy held internal elections for a "frontman" of the party who heads its electoral list. 51.5% of party members voted for Mark Rutte.
In the 2010 parliamentary elections, Rutte again leads the list of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. The party won the election, winning 31 seats in the second chamber of parliament.
A centre-right coalition was formed in parliament between the People's Party and the Christian Democratic Appeal, supported by the Freedom Party, under the leadership of Geert Wilders.
October 8, 2010 Mark Rutte was appointed Prime Minister and formed his cabinet. Rutte is the first non-Christian Democratic and Labor Party Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 1918. He is also the first prime minister from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.
On April 23, 2012, the Rutte government resigned with instructions to perform duties until the formation of a new government.
On 5 November 2012 Rutte's second cabinet was approved by a vote in Parliament, Rutte returned as Prime Minister of the coalition government.
On October 26, 2017, he was sworn in for a third term as prime minister.
On January 15, 2024, Mark Rutte's government resigned due to a tax scandal. TOthe cabinet continued to work until the election in the status of acting. In March 2024, Mark Rutte's party won the parliamentary elections. Thus, Rutte got the opportunity to form the fourth consecutive government of the Netherlands.
Family. Rutte is single; he does not have kids.
06/24/2021