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... In July 2023, after 13 years as the Netherlands' prime minister, Mark Rutte announced he would resign from office, saying he was "retiring from politics." Rutte had been the longest-serving prime minster in the history of the Netherlands, a country of just over 17 million. So, why did he step down?

Rutte's liberal-conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy had deemed his approach to asylum-seekers too lenient, causing his fragile four-party coalition government to collapse. This was followed by snap elections in November, won by far-right populist Geert Wilders. Rutte had been unable to prevent this shift toward the right, arguably marking the biggest defeat of his political career.

Since his resignation, the 57-year-old has remained in office for nearly a year in a caretaker role as Wilders' complicated government talks have dragged on.

Retirement plans postponed ...