Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has revealed that he will be leaving politics, making the announcement in the House of Representatives on Monday. He will no longer lead the

VVD list in the upcoming elections scheduled for November.

Rutte announced his decision at the beginning of a debate regarding the recent collapse of the Dutch government. The coalition parties failed to reach an agreement on migration policy, resulting in the government's downfall on Friday.

While the announcement carries emotional weight for Rutte, he expressed a sense of fulfillment in passing on the baton. Rutte has been the prime minister of the Netherlands since 2010 and last summer he became the country's longest-serving prime minister. Throughout his tenure, he acquired the nickname "Teflon Mark" due to his ability to weather political scandals.

Addressing speculation surrounding his motivations, Rutte emphasized that his commitment to the Netherlands takes precedence over his own position. He made the decision not to make himself available as the VVD's list leader in the upcoming elections, emphasizing that his focus is on the nation.

Despite expressing his energy and ideas to continue leading on Friday when announcing the government's collapse, Rutte acknowledged having mixed feelings about his retirement. He stated that while the decision carries emotion, it also brings a sense of satisfaction in passing the baton to a new leader. Photo by World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland, Wikimedia commons.