Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte became the fourth Dutch citizen on Tuesday to lead the 32-nation military alliance NATO, during a time marked by Russian aggression and indifferent American leadership.
An experienced politician with a relaxed lifestyle, Rutte will need his best diplomatic skills to steer NATO through one of the most challenging periods in its history.
In the Netherlands, the leader was able to hone his image by arriving on his bicycle to meet foreign leaders, shops for groceries at the supermarket, and drives his Saab to visit the king.
The man who left his office as Prime Minister in June, also with his bicycle, is now transitioning towards the pressure cooker of institutional life in Brussels.
Standing at 1.93 metres tall, Rutte, 57, is known by many nicknames, including Teflon Mark for his ability to ride out a succession of political scandals. This trait helped him serve as Dutch Prime Minister for 14 years, a record tenure in the Netherlands.
The former prime minister notably survived the resignation of his government in 2021 over a racism and social benefits scandal. He eventually resigned in July 2023 due to internal conflicts within his coalition over asylum policies.
NATO new Secretary General Mark Rutte pictured at a press conference to mark the end of Stoltenberg's term as NATO Secretary General, in NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday 01 October 2024. Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
"Many things went wrong under my responsibility, and I took it personally,: he said in a farewell message to the Dutch people in June. The sudden collapse of his fourth government was followed by a sweeping electoral victory for Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders in November 2023.
Rutte also holds the English moniker The Trump Whisperer for his ability to reason with the former US President. He is credited with saving a NATO summit in 2018 by discussing defence spending with Trump.
He showed typical Dutch candour during a 2018 visit to Washington, interrupting Trump with a firm "no" when he claimed it would be "positive" to fail to reach a trade deal with the EU.
In February, Rutte demonstrated his frankness at the Munich Security Conference by declaring that Europe must work "with everyone on the dance floor."
NATO outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) and NATO new Secretary General Mark Rutte pictured at the ceremony in NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday 01 October 2024. Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
"All this whining and moaning about Trump, I hear it constantly these days, let’s stop," he stated.
Regarding Ukraine, Mr Rutte spearheaded efforts to equip the nation with F-16 fighter jets, a decision hailed as "historic" by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to the Netherlands.
"Ukraine must win this war. For its security and ours," said the man who did not hesitate to label Russian President Vladimir Putin as "cold, brutal, ruthless" shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
