History of Mark Rutte in Timeline
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who served as the 14th Secretary General of NATO since October 2024. He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024 and leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from 2006 to 2023. He holds the record for the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history, with nearly 14 years in office.
October 1909: Birth of Izaäk Rutte
In October 1909, Izaäk Rutte, Mark Rutte's father, was born.
March 1910: Birth of Petronella Hermanna Dilling
In March 1910, Petronella Hermanna Dilling was born.
1918: First Liberal Prime Minister since 1918
In October 2010, Rutte became the first Liberal to serve as Prime Minister since Pieter Cort van der Linden in 1918.
November 1923: Birth of Hermina Cornelia Dilling
In November 1923, Hermina Cornelia Dilling, Mark Rutte's mother, was born.
July 1945: Death of Petronella Hermanna Dilling
In July 1945, Petronella Hermanna Dilling died in a prisoner-of-war camp.
1979: Attended Maerlant Lyceum
In 1979, Rutte started attending the Maerlant Lyceum.
1985: Specialized in arts at Maerlant Lyceum
In 1985, Rutte specialized in the arts at the Maerlant Lyceum.
April 1988: Death of Izaäk Rutte
In April 1988, Izaäk Rutte, Mark Rutte's father, passed away.
1988: Joined Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy
In 1988, Rutte joined the board of the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy.
1991: Served as chair of Youth Organisation
By 1991, Rutte served as chair of the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy.
1992: Obtained MA degree from Leiden University
In 1992, Rutte obtained an MA degree in history from Leiden University.
1993: Member of National Board of VVD
In 1993, Rutte became a member of the national board of the VVD.
1994: First Kok cabinet formed
Rutte's second cabinet completed its full four-year term, which had not happened since the First Kok cabinet was formed in 1994.
1997: Staff manager of Van den Bergh Nederland
In 1997, Rutte became staff manager of the Unilever subsidiary Van den Bergh Nederland.
1997: Member of National Board of VVD
Until 1997, Rutte was a member of the national board of the VVD.
1998: First cabinet to complete a full four-year term since 1998
Rutte's second cabinet became the first cabinet to complete a full four-year term since 1998.
1998: First Kok cabinet lasted until 1998
Rutte's second cabinet completed its full four-year term, which had not happened since the First Kok cabinet lasted until 1998.
2000: Member of Corporate Human Resources Group
In 2000, Rutte became a member of the Corporate Human Resources Group at Unilever.
July 2002: Appointed State Secretary
In July 2002, Rutte was appointed State Secretary at the Social Affairs and Employment Ministry.
2002: Human Resource Manager for IgloMora Groep
In 2002, Rutte became human resource manager for IgloMora Groep, a Unilever subsidiary.
2002: Rutte enters national politics
In 2002, Rutte entered national politics as a member of Jan Peter Balkenende's cabinets after working for Unilever.
May 2003: Briefly a Member of the House of Representatives
In May 2003, Rutte was briefly a member of the House of Representatives.
2003: Supported US-led Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, Rutte supported the US-led invasion of Iraq.
2003: Somali Residents Checked for Fraud
In 2003, as State Secretary, Rutte advised municipalities to check Somali residents for social assistance fraud, leading to controversy and legal challenges.
June 2004: Appointed State Secretary for Higher Education and Science
In June 2004, Rutte was appointed State Secretary for Higher Education and Science.
June 2004: Continued as State Secretary
Rutte served as State Secretary until June 2004 in the First and Second Balkenende cabinets.
May 2006: Elected as Lead Candidate of VVD
On 31 May 2006, Mark Rutte was announced as the next lijsttrekker of the VVD.
June 2006: Resigned to return to House of Representatives
In June 2006, Rutte resigned from his position to return to the House of Representatives.
2006: Rutte becomes leader of VVD
In 2006, Mark Rutte became the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
2006: Rutte wins VVD leadership election
In 2006, Rutte won the VVD leadership election.
2006: General Election
In 2006, the VVD campaign with Rutte as leader did not get off to a good start; he received criticism from within his own party.
September 2007: Verdonk expelled from party
In September 2007, Rutte expelled Rita Verdonk from the VVD's parliamentary faction due to repeated criticisms of party policy.
October 2010: Appointed as Formateur and Prime Minister
In October 2010, Rutte was appointed as formateur and subsequently sworn in as Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
2010: Rutte becomes Prime Minister of Netherlands
In 2010, Mark Rutte became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, marking a significant milestone in his career.
2010: Rutte becomes Prime Minister
In 2010, after the general election and coalition negotiations, Rutte became Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
2010: VVD Wins Election
In the 2010 general election, the VVD won 31 seats and became the largest party in the House of Representatives.
2011: VVD Secured Status as Lead Party
After a victory in the 2011 provincial elections, the VVD secured its status as the lead party within the government.
March 2012: Budget Talks and Deficit Reduction
In March 2012, Rutte began talks to cut government spending by 16 billion euros to reduce the nation's deficit.
April 2012: Government collapses due to budget negotiations
In April 2012, Rutte's government collapsed early due to an impasse on budget negotiations.
November 2012: Returns as Prime Minister
In November 2012, Rutte returned as Prime Minister, forming the Second Rutte cabinet.
2014: The Hague Hosted G7 Meeting
In 2014, The Hague hosted a Group of Seven special meeting after the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 tragedy.
April 2016: Appointed to UN High-Level Panel on Water
In April 2016, Rutte was appointed to the United Nations High-Level Panel on Water.
November 2016: House of Representatives Approved Ban on Islamic Burqa
In November 2016, the House of Representatives approved a ban on the Islamic burqa in some public spaces, supported by the VVD.
October 2017: Sworn in as Prime Minister for Third Term
On 26 October 2017, Rutte presented his third cabinet and was sworn in as prime minister for a third term.
2017: VVD remains largest party in election
In the 2017 general election, the VVD lost seats but remained the largest party, leading to Rutte's third cabinet.
March 2018: Dutch Intelligence and Security Services Act referendum
On 21 March 2018, the Dutch Intelligence and Security Services Act referendum was held, which resulted in a rejection.
2019: VVD Suffers Blow in Provincial Elections
At the 2019 provincial elections, Rutte's VVD suffered a blow following the victory of right-wing populist newcomer Forum for Democracy (FvD).
May 2020: Death of Hermina Cornelia Dilling
In May 2020, Hermina Cornelia Dilling, Mark Rutte's mother, passed away.
2020: Leader of Frugal Four
In 2020, during negotiations for the COVID-19 recovery fund, Rutte was considered the unofficial leader of the Frugal Four, demanding loans instead of grants with more conditions. He also suggested the EU could be dissolved and reformed without Poland and Hungary.
January 2021: Third Rutte cabinet resigns
In January 2021, the third Rutte cabinet collectively resigned following research on the childcare subsidies scandal in the Netherlands. Rutte accepted responsibility and offered his resignation to King Willem-Alexander.
December 2021: Presents coalition agreement
In December 2021, after the Dutch general election, Rutte presented a coalition agreement with D66, CDA, and CU, forming the same combination as his previous government after the longest formation process in Dutch history.
2021: VVD Wins General Election
In 2021, the VVD won the general election despite the childcare benefits scandal.
October 2022: Calls for investigation of war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh
In October 2022, Rutte stated that alleged war crimes and human rights violations during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war in Nagorno-Karabakh should be investigated.
2022: Rutte Begins Fourth Term
In 2022, Rutte began his fourth term as Prime Minister after a record-length formation period.
January 2023: Agreement to limit chip exports to China
In January 2023, the U.S., Japan, and the Netherlands reached an agreement to limit certain advanced chip exports to China.
March 2023: Restrictions on chip exports
In March 2023, the Dutch government placed restrictions on chip exports to protect national security, affecting ASML.
July 2023: Government Resignation and Departure from Politics
On 7 July 2023, Rutte's coalition government unanimously decided they could not continue working together due to disagreements on immigration policy, leading Rutte to offer the resignation of his government. Three days later, Rutte announced his departure from national politics after the installation of the next government.
July 2023: Government Resignation
On 7 July 2023, Rutte's government resigned after failing to agree on migration policies.
October 2023: Announces candidacy for NATO Secretary General
In October 2023, Rutte announced his candidacy for the position of Secretary General of NATO.
October 2023: Condemns Hamas attack and supports Israel
In October 2023, while serving as outgoing prime minister, Rutte condemned the Hamas attack on Israel and expressed his support for Israel's right to self-defense. He was the first foreign leader to speak with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on that day.
November 2023: Early General Elections
In November 2023, due to the resignation of the cabinet, general elections were held early, with the VVD now under the leadership of Dilan Yeşilgöz.
2023: Rutte steps down as leader of VVD
In 2023, Mark Rutte stepped down as leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
January 2024: Further restrictions on chip exports
In January 2024, the Dutch government placed further restrictions on the shipment of some advanced chip-making equipment to China.
February 2024: Visits Saudi Arabia and Paris, pledges aid to Ukraine
In February 2024, Rutte visited Saudi Arabia to discuss cooperation with the Saudi crown prince. Later in February, he attended an emergency summit in Paris concerning Ukraine and pledged €100 million towards purchasing ammunition for Ukrainian forces.
February 2024: Receives support for NATO candidacy
In February 2024, Rutte's bid for NATO Secretary General received public support from the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
February 2024: Court orders halt to F-35 parts exports to Israel
In February 2024, a court in the Netherlands ordered the Dutch government to stop exporting parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel.
March 2024: Xi Jinping's response to chip restrictions
On 27 March 2024, Chinese president Xi Jinping told Rutte that "no force can stop the pace of China’s scientific and technological progress" in response to the Dutch restrictions on chip exports.
July 2024: Schoof Cabinet Sworn In
On 2 July 2024, the Schoof cabinet was sworn in after Rutte IV served as an outgoing cabinet.
October 2024: Rutte becomes NATO Secretary General
In October 2024, Mark Rutte assumed the position of the 14th Secretary General of NATO.
October 2024: Casualty Estimates in the War with Ukraine
In October 2024, Rutte said that more than 600,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded during the war with Ukraine.
2024: Moves to Brussels
In 2024, Rutte moved to Brussels following his appointment as Secretary General of NATO.
