According to Prime Minister Mark Rutte, differences among coalition parties over asylum policies have led to the dissolution of the Dutch government. 

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During a press conference held on Friday evening, Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed the collapse of the Dutch government. Following an emergency cabinet meeting, Rutte announced that he will submit his resignation to King Willem-Alexander on Saturday. He presided over crisis discussions on Friday, but the four groups engaged were unable to agree.

Who is Mark Rutte?

Mark Rutte is a prominent Dutch politician who has held the position of Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 2010. Since 2006, he has served as the head of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).

Rutte formerly worked for Unilever in the corporate world before entering politics. He entered politics in 2002 when Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende named him as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment. 

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Following a coalition agreement that gave the VVD several cabinet seats, Balkenende made this appointment. In the 2003 election, Rutte went on to gain a place in the House of Representatives. In the second Balkenende ministry, he was appointed State Secretary for Education, Culture, and Science in 2004.

The VVD, under Mark Rutte, garnered the most votes in the 2010 election, making it the largest party in the House of Representatives for the first time. On October 14, 2010, Rutte took the oath of office as prime minister of the Netherlands after long coalition discussions.

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This week Rutte’s party pushed for legislation to restrict the flow of asylum seekers into the Netherlands. After they saw a huge spike in Asylum applications last year. In response, the Christian Union, a party that prioritizes family values, and the socially liberal D66, the junior coalition partners, strongly opposed this proposal, which eventually resulted in a government collapse.