Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, has said he will resign from the post after his government collapsed at the end of last week.
The four-party coalition, with Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) party being the single-biggest member, collapsed over differing views on migration.
Following the collapse of the coalition, Rutte said that he would stand down as Prime Minister and not seek a fifth term.
He has been Dutch Prime Minister since 2010, making him one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders.
Although elections only need to be held in 2025, elections will now be held later this year, following the fall of Rutte’s government. Rutte will act in a caretaker role until the elections.
Opinion polls show that the Farmer-Citizen Movement, which only formed in 2019 and currently has one seat in the 150-member House of Representatives, is the most popular party, with the support of between 25% and 30% of Dutch people.
Nevertheless, the VVD is still relatively popular and most polls show it as the second-most popular party, with the support of about one in five Dutch people.