But Mark Rutte came unstuck yesterday, telling shocked MPs and reporters in The Hague he would not stand in the next election after his coalition government collapsed on Friday over asylum policy.
The decision brings to an end his 17-year tenure as leader of the liberal-conservative People's party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and 13 years as prime minister of the Netherlands at the head of four different governments.
"I do this with mixed feelings, with emotion," said the 56-yearold. "But it feels right."
As the EU's longest-serving leader after Hungary's Viktor Orbán, his name has been floated for international jobs, including at Nato and the European Council.
In characteristically low-key style, however, Rutte said he harboured no such ambitions. For several years now, he has taught social studies once a week at a high school in The Hague. "Maybe I'll do it a couple of times a week," he said.
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Denne historien er fra July 11, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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