Europe | Charlemagne

Farewell, Mark Rutte, the Tiggerish Dutch prime minister

Bouncy, endlessly optimistic, devoid of ideology—what’s not to like?

The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte as a cheerful Tigger, bouncing down the road with a windmill on the horizon — Image: Peter Schrank

Jul 13th 2023

Most politicians like to project an air of sober earnestness. A job prized by bright, sociable people thus ends up looking like hard work. Not for Mark Rutte, the perma-cheerful prime minister of the Netherlands since 2010. In the manner of Tigger, Winnie-the-Pooh’s sidekick, the equally elongated Dutchman has bounced from one political chore to the next with relentless aplomb. Whether riding a bike to the office under The Hague’s leaden skies, or explaining (again!) to an EU crowd why the Dutch would not pay for some new Brussels scheme, then embarking on yet another campaign in a country blessed with over a dozen political parties: all of it could be done with a spring in the step and a smile for the cameras. Now Europe is to lose its chief cheerful-leader. Soon after his fourth coalition collapsed, on July 10th he announced he will leave office after elections due in November. But even the unexpected derailing of Mr Rutte’s political career failed to dent his chirpy demeanour for long.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Farewell to the Dutch Tigger”