Dutch king swears in new ruling coalition, Rutte's 4th
ABC News
Dutch King Willem-Alexander has sworn in a new ruling coalition, led for the fourth time by Mark Rutte
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Dutch King Willem-Alexander swore in a new ruling coalition Monday, led for the fourth time by Mark Rutte, amid a nationwide coronavirus lockdown and policy challenges ranging from climate change and housing shortages to the future of agriculture.
The ceremony in the ballroom at the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague came after a record-breaking coalition formation process following athe March 17 general election that highlighted deep divisions in the splintered Dutch political landscape.
Rutte, 54, has already led three coalitions and is now set to become the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister despite only narrowly surviving a no-confidence motion in parliament in April.
He introduced his new team one-by-one to the king before they were formally sworn in by agreeing to the oath of office and then posing — socially distanced — for a photo.
