(The Hague) Known for cycling to work while crunching an apple, Dutchman Mark Rutte will need all his balancing skills to lead NATO through one of the most difficult periods in its history.
The way is now clear for the resigning Prime Minister of the Netherlands, candidate for head of NATO, after the withdrawal on Thursday from the race of his only competitor, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
At 1.93m tall, Mr Rutte, 57, has many nicknames, including “Teflon Mark” for his resilience to scandals, and “The Trump Whisperer”, the whisperer in Donald Trump’s ear , for his ability to reason with the former American president.
The first quality made him the longest-serving prime minister in his country, rebounding in particular in 2021 after the resignation of his government following a scandal over social benefits. He eventually stepped down last year after a coalition dispute over asylum.
The second skill may prove crucial at the head of NATO with his sights set on a possible second term in the White House for Mr. Trump, who is notoriously skeptical about the United States’ involvement within the alliance.
Mr Rutte is credited by his peers with saving a 2018 NATO summit by talking to Mr Trump about defence spending.
More recently, Rutte was even more outspoken at the Munich Security Conference, saying Europe must work “with whoever is on the dance floor.”
“All this whining and whining about Trump, I hear that constantly these last few days, let’s stop doing that,” he said.
Mark Rutte has an image of “Mr Normal”. In addition to arriving by bicycle to meet foreign leaders, he is known for doing his own shopping at his supermarket and driving his own Saab to visit the king.
In a video that has gone viral, he insists on cleaning up the coffee he has just spilled in one of the government buildings himself, to the applause of staff and laughing at his own clumsiness.
Concerning Ukraine, the Netherlands signed an agreement this year for two billion euros in military assistance over 10 years, before adding an additional billion.
Rutte also spearheaded efforts to equip Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets, a move described as “historic” by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a trip to the Netherlands.
“Ukraine must win this war. For his security and ours,” said Rutte, the fourth Dutchman to lead NATO.
His 14 years as prime minister were marked by the mid-air destruction of Malaysia Airlines MH17 over Ukraine by a Russian missile in 2014, with 196 Dutch people among the 298 killed.
Speaking in Paris shortly after the Russian invasion, Mr Rutte described President Vladimir Putin in no uncertain terms: “cold, brutal, ruthless”.
The second longest-serving European leader after Hungary’s Viktor Orban, his diplomatic skills were highlighted in his efforts to become NATO chief.
He was finally able to convince the main holdouts, Turkey and Hungary. The latter had been offended by comments from Mr. Rutte who declared that Budapest should not be part of the EU after the adoption of a law prohibiting the promotion of LGBTQ content to minors.
His political career in the Netherlands was marred by several scandals. The sudden collapse last year of his coalition after an asylum dispute triggered elections won by Geert Wilders’ far-right.
Mark Rutte is the youngest of seven children. His father Izaak was a merchant. His mother Mieke was the sister of Izaak’s first wife, who died in a Japanese camp during World War II.
Initially dreaming of a career as a pianist, he joined the Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever after his studies at Leiden University.
His singleness sparked media speculation, but he always deflected questions, saying only that he was “happy.”
He describes himself as a “man of habit and tradition” and has spent his entire life in The Hague, where he gives lessons on a voluntary basis.
“Mark doesn’t like change, he always wants the same thing,” summarizes Marco Rimmelzwaan, his hairdresser.
